South Korean Starbucks boss apologizes anew for ad campaign that evoked massacre
CBS News • • business
Key Points:
- South Korean retail tycoon Chung Yong-jin apologized twice within two weeks after Starbucks Korea faced backlash for a marketing campaign perceived as mocking victims of the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy military crackdown.
- The campaign promoted a large tumbler size called a "tank" on May 18, the anniversary of the Gwangju uprising, and used the slogan "Thwack it on the table!," which many saw as referencing a police cover-up of a student activist's torture death.
- Following public outrage, Shinsegae Group canceled the campaign, fired Starbucks Korea's CEO, and police launched an investigation based on complaints from victims' families.
- The controversy led to calls for boycotts, government officials banning Starbucks products at official events, and a significant drop in sales, with President Lee Jae Myung condemning the campaign as "inhumane and disgraceful."
- The Gwangju crackdown, ordered by then-dictator Chun Doo-hwan, resulted in hundreds of deaths and was a pivotal event leading to South Korea's democratic transition in 1987.