Members of three May 18 Democratization Movement organizations hold a rally in front of the main entrance of the Shinsegae Department Store in Gwangju's Seo District on May 22, condemning Starbucks Korea over its controversial "Tank Day" marketing campaign. [NEWS1]
The controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" promotion on the anniversary of the May 18 democratization movement is spilling over into Shinsegae Group's major investment projects in Gwangju, with a leading mayoral candidate vowing the company will "pay a price."
Min Hyung-bae, the Democratic Party candidate widely expected to become the inaugural mayor of the proposed South Jeolla and Gwangju "special city," wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that the Tank Day marketing campaign was "not a simple mistake, but a disaster born of corporate arrogance toward history," adding that he would ensure the company faced consequences for "mocking" the 1980 democratization movement and insulting Gwangju."
The remarks have drawn attention in Gwangju and South Jeolla because the inaugural special city mayor would hold broad approval authority over investment projects in the area, including licensing and administrative procedures.
Min Hyung-bae, the Democratic Party of Korea's mayoral candidate for the unified South Jeolla-Gwangju municipality, delivers a campaign speech in front of the Buk District Office in Gwangju on May 21, marking the official commencement of the June 3 local elections. [NEWS1]
At stake are two major Shinsegae developments in Gwangju worth a combined 4 trillion won ($2.6 billion).
Shinsegae Property, a wholly owned subsidiary of Emart, is investing 1.3 trillion won to build the Grand Starfield Gwangju at the Odeungsan Tourism Complex — a mall planned to exceed the scale of Starfield Goyang. The company signed a development agreement with Gwangju Urban Corporation in December 2023 and is targeting a groundbreaking in the second half of this year, with completion by 2030.
A second project, dubbed "The Great Gwangju" and led by Gwangju Shinsegae, involves redeveloping the Gwangcheon Terminal area — home to the existing U-Square bus terminal — into a mixed-use complex combining a department store, terminal, hotel and cultural facilities.
A rendering of Grand Starfield Gwangju [SHINSEGAE GROUP]
The 3 trillion won project, signed with Gwangju city in February, calls for demolishing most of the existing terminal facilities and constructing a 35-story bus terminal building and a new department store wing by 2033. Demolition of the U-Square site has been completed, but traffic impact assessments and follow-on permitting have faced delays.
City officials and Shinsegae affiliates have pushed back against linking the two issues, noting that Starbucks Korea — operated by SCK Company, in which Emart holds a 67.5 percent stake — is structurally separate from Gwangju Shinsegae. A Gwangju city official said Starbucks falls under the Emart group led by chairman Jeong Yong-jin, while the terminal redevelopment is a Shinsegae project under chairwoman Jeong Yu-kyung, and that the city was monitoring local sentiment to ensure the already-signed project proceeds as planned.
The backlash stems from a May 18 tumbler promotion in which Starbucks used the slogan "Tank Day" alongside phrases including "May 18" and "a thud on the desk."
Civic groups said the campaign evoked the deployment of martial law tanks during the 1980 movement, while the desk phrase recalled the 1987 torture and death of democracy activist Park Jong-chul.
Groups representing May 18 victims and survivors have since called for the resignation of Shinsegae Group chairman Chung Yong-jin, and one-person protests and boycott campaigns have taken place across Gwangju.
The Odeungsan project has stalled multiple times due to opposition from small-business owners and civic groups, raising concerns that the fallout from Tank Day could further erode public support for both developments.
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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