SouthernWorldwide.com – South Korean retail tycoon Chung Yong-jin has issued a second apology within two weeks following a controversial marketing campaign by Starbucks Korea that has drawn significant public backlash.
The campaign is widely perceived as having mocked victims of a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980. Chung, who chairs Shinsegae Group, the majority stakeholder in Starbucks Korea, made a televised statement expressing his remorse.
He bowed three times during the statement, pleading for forgiveness from the families of democracy activists who were killed during the country’s former military dictatorship. He also apologized to the general public.
The coffee chain ignited public outrage by designating May 18 as “Tank Day” to promote a large size of a tumbler they refer to as a “tank.” May 18 is the anniversary of a democratic uprising in the southern city of Gwangju.
This uprising was violently suppressed by troops, tanks, and helicopters, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. The campaign further exacerbated public anger with its slogan, “Thwack it on the table!”
Many interpreted this slogan as a reference to a controversial 1987 police statement. This statement attempted to conceal the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol, with police claiming he died suddenly after investigators “hit the desk with a thwack.”
The promotion faced immediate and widespread condemnation. Shinsegae swiftly canceled the campaign within hours and terminated the chief executive of Starbucks Korea. The police have also initiated an investigation based on complaints filed by families of those killed in Gwangju.
“I take … very seriously the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger because of Starbucks Korea’s inappropriate marketing campaign,” Chung stated on Tuesday.
He also urged the public not to direct their frustration towards Starbucks staff in stores, emphasizing that the responsibility rests with the management. As of now, there have been no reports of major incidents occurring at Starbucks outlets.
Chung had previously issued an apology on May 19. In that statement, he acknowledged that the campaign had caused “deep pain to the victims and bereaved families of the May 18 Democratization Movement as well as to the public.”
Jeon Sangjin, a senior executive at Shinsegae Group, noted that the company has not yet found definitive evidence suggesting Starbucks Korea marketing employees intentionally mocked the pro-democracy movement. The employees involved have denied such intentions.
However, Jeon mentioned that some employees declined requests from management to hand over their smartphones during an internal review that lasted for a week. He stated that the company would await the results of the police inquiry.
Any employee found to have intended to ridicule the protesters would face termination, Jeon added.
The public anger over the campaign has fueled calls for boycotts. These calls have been amplified by government officials, including Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung. Yoon announced that Starbucks products would no longer be used at government events, criticizing the chain’s “anti-historical behavior.”
A Shinsegae official informed Reuters news agency that sales have seen a significant decline following the marketing controversy.
President Lee Jae Myung commented on X last week, describing the campaign as “inhumane and disgraceful behavior by cheap profiteers who deny the values of the South Korean community, basic human rights and democracy.”
The crackdown in Gwangju occurred several months after General Chun Doo-hwan seized power in a coup in late 1979. Official government records indicate that approximately 200 people died in Gwangju.
However, activists contend that the actual death toll was considerably higher. Chun’s government also imprisoned tens of thousands, citing the need to eradicate social evils.
The widespread public anger against Chun’s dictatorship culminated in massive nationwide protests in 1987. These protests compelled him to accept a constitutional revision that introduced direct presidential elections.
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This period is widely regarded as the beginning of South Korea’s transition to democracy.
