Signs of Starbucks Korea boycott emerge online in wake of 'Tank Day' prom...

A Threads user posts a clip titled ″Goodbye Starbucks," smashing a Starbucks mug [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Signs of a possible boycott of Starbucks Korea are emerging online as public backlash grows over its controversial “Tank Day” promotion held on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.

Numerous posts began appearing on social media platforms, such as Threads, on Tuesday, showing users throwing away Starbucks tumblers and mugs and expressing intent to stop using Starbucks products.

One user uploaded a video of a Starbucks mug inside a plastic bag being smashed with a hammer, captioning the post “Goodbye, Starbucks.”

Other users posted screenshots showing themselves deleting the Starbucks app or canceling automatic reload services on their membership accounts.

“I had to go through identity verification for the first time in ages just to delete my Starbucks account,” one user wrote.

Another user said, “I’m going to get a refund for every Starbucks gift card I received,” while another wrote, “Deleting the app is the fastest way to start a boycott.”

Starbucks Korea has been receiving mounting criticism for its latest promotional event, which displayed phrases like "Tank Day" and "Tak! on the desk."

Posts on social media show a broken Starbucks mug, left, a Starbucks card refund, center, and the deletion of a Starbucks account [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Many online users criticized the use of the word “tank,” saying it evoked memories of armored military vehicles deployed in Gwangju during the uprising in Gwangju.

The promotional phrase “Tak! on the desk” also drew criticism, with many saying it recalled the infamous statement made by police following the 1987 torture death of student activist Park Jong-cheol, when officials falsely claimed he died after an officer "struck a desk with a

tak

," a Korean word equivalent to "bang."

As controversy surrounding the “Tank Day” promotion escalated, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin issued a public apology on Tuesday and dismissed Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun.

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.