Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin is seen an undated photo provided by the company. [SHINSEGAE GROUP]
Retail giant Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin made a public apology over Starbucks Korea’s so-called Tank Day marketing campaign that used phrases reminiscent of military dictatorship on the anniversary of the May 18 democracy movement.
“Yesterday, the day that marked the 46th anniversary of the May 18 democracy movement, Starbucks Korea, an affiliate of Shinsegae Group, rolled out an inappropriate and unacceptable marketing campaign that should never have taken place,” Chung said in a statement released Tuesday.
Starbucks Korea has been running a promotional event since last Friday. On Monday, the company used phrases, such as “Tank Day” and “Tak! on the desk, in its promotional materials.
The public criticized that the marketing strategy mocked the brutal suppression against those who sacrificed themselves for democracy during the 1980 May 18 democratization movement in Gwangju. The movement ended in a deadly military crackdown that officially left 193 people dead, though hundreds more were believed to have been killed or injured by armed soldiers during the protest.
Critics said the phrase — “Tak! on the desk” — insulted the late student pro-democracy activist Park Jong-cheol, who died after being tortured by police.
“I deeply apologize on behalf of the group for causing profound pain to the victims of the May 18 democratization movement, their bereaved families and the Korean people for the pain this has caused,” Chung said.
A controversial marketing campaign of Starbucks Korea [SCREEN CAPTURE]
“This was an inexcusable wrongdoing that trivialized the pain and sacrifice of everyone who devoted themselves to advancing democracy in this nation,” he
continued. “I recognize that the responsibility for this lies entirely with me, and I know no explanation can justify it.”
“Above all, I accept with a heavy heart that the group as a whole lacked the historical awareness and sensitivity toward Korean history,” Chung added. “We will conduct an extensive review of our decision-making system to ensure this never happens again.”
Chung vowed to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the approval process behind it and transparently disclose the results. He also promised to overhaul the internal review process for marketing content across all affiliates and establish clearer standards for screening promotional materials with company-wide training to instill stricter historical awareness and ethical standards. He noted he will undergo the training as well as other ordinary employees.
“Once again, I sincerely apologize to the spirits and bereaved families of the victims of the May 18 [democracy movement], the citizens of Gwangju, the bereaved relatives of late student activist Park Jong-cheol, those who sacrificed themselves in a fight for democracy in this country and Koreans,” he said.
A day earlier, on Monday, Chairman Chung dismissed Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyunover the marketing campaign. The retail giant group also decided to remove the executive who planned and oversaw the event alongside Sohn, and will begin disciplinary procedures against all employees involved.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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