GWANGJU — Starbucks Korea dismissed chief executive Son Jung-hyun on May 18 after the company launched a "Tank Day" marketing campaign for its "Tank" tumbler series on the same date as the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. Chung Yong-jin, chair of Shinsegae Group, ordered the dismissal of Son and the executive who oversaw the campaign following an internal investigation.

The online promotion paired the date "5/18" with the "Tank Day" slogan, evoking the armored vehicles used by the military regime to crush the uprising. The campaign also featured the phrase "thwack on the desk," echoing the 1987 cover-up of the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chul, after authorities initially claimed that an officer hit the desk with a thwack, causing Park to collapse and die.

Starbucks Korea pulled the promotion within hours and apologized, saying it would implement stricter internal reviews. A Starbucks Korea spokesperson said: "While unintentional, this should never have happened. We recognise the deep pain and offence this has caused, particularly to those who honour the victims, their families, and all who contributed to Korea's democratisation." The spokesperson added: "Leadership accountability actions have been taken, and a thorough investigation is underway."

President Lee Jae Myung, who attended the Gwangju memorial on May 18, condemned the campaign on X, saying he was "outraged" by the behavior of people he called "low-class peddlers." Lee said: "They must be held accountable with the corresponding moral, administrative, legal, and political responsibility."

The Gwangju-Jeonnam Memorial Coalition called the marketing "clearly malicious mockery" and said: "We strongly suspect this is the result of management's biased historical consciousness being cunningly expressed through the mask of marketing."

The Gwangju Uprising began on May 18, 1980, when paratroopers were deployed to crush student-led protests against martial law imposed by Chun Doo-hwan. Over the following 10 days, troops used bayonets, batons and live ammunition against civilians. Government figures suggest that more than 200 people were killed in the crackdown, while activists and historians estimate that up to 2,300 people were killed.

In 2022, Chung posted "I hate communism" with the hashtag "eradicate communism" online. In 2023, he sent a congratulatory message to Build Up Korea, an organization modeled on the US MAGA movement's Turning Point USA, and Starbucks Korea provided free coffee at a Build Up Korea event that year. Chung is known for his close ties to the Trump family. South Korea has more than 2,000 Starbucks outlets, more than any country apart from the United States and China.