Kim Soo-wan, the vice president of Shinsegae Group, leaves the May 18 Memorial Park's cultural center in Gwangju on May 19 after attempting to issue an apology regarding Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" promotional event. [YONHAP]
With Starbucks Korea's scandal-ridden “Tank Day” promotional event sending its owner's stock prices down the drain, the vice chairman of Shinsegae Group attempted to issue an apology to the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement foundation, only to be turned away.
Shinsegae Group Vice President Kim Soo-wan visited the May 18 Memorial Park's cultural center in Gwangju on Tuesday to apologize for the promotional event run by the group's affiliate, Starbucks Korea.
However, the center forbade him from entering the premises, explaining that he had arrived unannounced without a
prior
appointment.
“I spoke with The May 18 Foundation yesterday afternoon, and after the organization agreed to meet with me, I came down [to Gwangju] from Seoul,” said Kim. “But it seems that this situation occurred because of differing opinions among the involved parties.”
The apology attempt follows Starbucks Korea's promotional event for a series of tumblers, which began last Friday and will end on May 26. However, the language used in the promotional materials drew criticism from the public for allegedly mocking the Gwangju democratization movement.
Many objected to the company's use of the phrase “Tank Day” in its promotions — only available on Tuesday, or May 18, the anniversary of the movement — for its tumbler product lineup. The phrase “Tak! on the desk” also drew criticism for recalling the infamous police statement issued after student activist Park Jong-cheol's death by torture. “Tak” is Korean onomatopoeia used to describe a sharp sound, often from one object hitting another, similar to the English language's “bang.”
A promotional image for Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" event [SCREEN CAPTURE]
“The [Shinsegae] Group is taking this matter very seriously,” Kim said. “We sincerely apologize to those who sacrificed their lives during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and will do our utmost to prevent something like this from happening again.”
He added that the controversial event wasn't carried out with any motive.
“Once we have fully looked into what happened, we will visit [the center] again and offer another apology,” Kim said.
As the controversy spread, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin made a public apology on Tuesday morning, saying that he “takes full responsibility for this matter.” Shinsegae Group also dismissed Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun in an attempt to contain the fallout.
However, shares of Emart, the largest shareholder of Starbucks Korea, fell sharply, closing at 93,600 won ($62) on Tuesday, down 5.65 percent from the previous day.
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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