Starbucks Korea Faces Police Raid
Due to allegations of slander about a contentious advertising campaign. South Korean police visited Starbucks’ national headquarters.
In honor of the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, in which hundreds are thought to have been slain by military troops. Starbucks Korea created a coffee tumbler campaign named “Tank Day” in May.
The campaign prompted a widespread boycott movement since many believed the “tank” was a reference to vehicles used to smash pro-democracy demonstrators.
It also said that neither the higher management nor the team responsible for organizing the campaign saw the connection to the historical incident.
Shinsegae expressed regret for the “inappropriate marketing” and said that Starbucks sales in South Korea, one of the company’s biggest markets, had significantly decreased as a result of the Tank Day issue.
Starbucks Faces Historical Backlash
According to reports, hundreds of people were slaughtered by military ruler Chun Doo-hwan’s forces. What is now recognized as a day of national trauma for South Koreans. A day that many people in the nation consider sacrosanct.
Additionally, the term “tak on the table!” was used in promotional materials for the tumbler.
However, “tak” was also used in a contentious police statement in 1987 on the death of a student activist who had been detained.
Starbucks Cup Sparks Political Row
Among those who denounced the campaign was Lee Jae Myung, the president of South Korea. Who claimed it “insults the victims and the bloody struggle” of Gwangju locals.
The incident, which surfaced during the season of municipal elections, also became a major topic of discussion.
The opposition leader replied to Lee’s interior ministry’s announcement of a government-wide boycott of Starbucks by accusing the administration of overreach. While holding up a Starbucks cup during a speech.
Since then, right-wing commentators have used Starbucks cups as a symbol of opposition to the Lee Jae-myung administration. Additionally, it has appeared in livestreams and right-wing demonstrations.
