Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun [YONHAP]
Chung Yong-jin, executive chairman of the Shinsegae Group, dismissed Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun on Monday over a promotional campaign by the beverage company that allegedly mocked a pivotal moment in Korea's democratization struggle, with even the nation's president publicly condemning the event.
Chung was particularly enraged that the incident occurred on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising and ordered the strongest disciplinary action the group could impose, according to the company. The company also decided to remove the executive who planned and oversaw the event alongside Sohn and will begin disciplinary procedures against all employees involved.
“Chairman Chung ordered a strict and thorough internal investigation immediately after being briefed on the matter,” a Shinsegae Group source said. “He believed the issue was extremely serious and took the extraordinary step of dismissing the chief executive.”
Starbucks Korea ran a tumbler promotion starting Friday, using phrases such as “Tank Day” and “Tak! on the Desk,” featuring products from its Tank tumbler lines, including the Colorful Tank Tumbler Set and Tank Duo Set.
Critics particularly objected to the use of the phrase “Tank Day” on May 18, the anniversary of the 1980 democracy movement. The uprising began in Gwangju after citizens protested military coup leader and eventual president Chun Doo Hwan's imposition of martial law. The military massacred the protesters, and the movement is widely regarded as a defining moment in Korea’s democratization.
A promotional image for Starbucks Korea featuring the phrase “Tank Day” appears on the Starbucks app, drawing online backlash for allegedly mocking the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin said he had plans to meet key U.S. figures through Donald Trump Jr. while talking to reporters on Jan. 18, 2025, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where he was set to take a plane to Washington ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration. [YONHAP]
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 in 1987.
Tak
is a Korean word for a sharp, hitting sound, similar to “bang.” Police claimed Park died after an officer "struck a desk with a tak [bang]."
As the public backlash against the company mounted, Starbucks Korea posted an apology on its mobile application and website. When the backlash continued, the company released another formal apology at around 7 p.m. under Son’s name.
At around 8:30 p.m., President Lee Jae Myung expressed anger over the promotion on social media.
President Lee Jae Myung lays flowers at a memorial altar for victims of the Jeju Air crash on May 18. The accident occurred at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, 2024. [NEWS1]
Lee said on X that he was “furious at the inhumane and depraved behavior of low-grade money grubbers who deny the values of the Korean community, fundamental human rights and democracy.”
“How many lives were unjustly lost that day, and how grave was the damage done to justice and history?" wrote Lee. "What kind of twisted motive led them to commit such an act?”
Lee said those responsible should face “appropriate moral, administrative, legal and political accountability” and asked whether the company had apologized to the bereaved families and victims of the uprising.
Shinsegae Group said it will overhaul its work processes and strengthen efforts to build historical awareness across the organization to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
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