Police Raided a Starbucks Office in South Korea Over a Controversial Ad — The Guardian
In South Korea, police conducted searches at the headquarters of Starbucks Korea as part of an investigation into a controversial marketing campaign that has been accused of showing disrespect for the events of the 1980s democracy movement.
According to law enforcement officials, investigators raided the company’s main office in Seoul. South Korean media also report that law enforcement officials searched the homes of Starbucks Korea executives.
The scandal erupted after the company introduced a line of reusable metal thermoses called “SS Tank” and declared May 18 “Tank Day.” It is on this day that the country commemorates the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, when the military regime brutally suppressed pro-democracy protests. According to official figures, about 200 people were killed at that time.
The advertising slogan “Bang on the Table!” also drew criticism, as many linked it to the police’s attempt to cover up the death of student Park Jeong-chul in 1987. At the time, law enforcement officials claimed that he died after an investigator allegedly “slammed the table,” although it later emerged that the student had died as a result of torture.
Following a wave of outrage, the Shinsegae Group, which owns 67.5% of Starbucks Korea’s shares, canceled the advertising campaign within a few hours and fired the company’s CEO. Shinsegae Chairman Jeong Yeon-jin publicly apologized for the incident.
On June 22, Starbucks Korea also closed all of its locations in the country for one day to conduct mandatory training for employees on history and social responsibility.
The investigation was launched following complaints from relatives of victims of the Gwangju Uprising, who claimed that the campaign had dishonored the memory of those who died.
This was reported by The Guardian.
As a reminder, Starbucks Korea CEO Seong Jeong-hyun was dismissed from his position due to the launch of an advertising campaign that the public perceived as a disrespectful reference to the country’s bloody historical events.
South Korea is preparing to completely phase out dog meat by 2027
South Korea has warned of a threat to global microchip production due to the war in Iran
