South Korean police raid Starbucks Korea headquarters after the "Tank Day" scandal

South Korean authorities raided Starbucks Korea's headquarters in Seoul as part of a defamation investigation related to a marketing campaign deemed insulting to victims of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising.

Seoul police raided Starbucks Korea's headquarters several months after a promotional campaign sparked nationwide protests. Civil groups had filed a criminal complaint against the company, accusing it of defaming victims of the military dictatorship.

In May, Starbucks Korea launched a promotion around a thermos cup called "Tank Day," the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, during which hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were reportedly killed by the military forces of dictator Chun Doo-hwan. Many interpreted the reference to "tank" as a direct allusion to the armored vehicles used to crush the popular revolt.

The promotional material further aggravated the situation: it used the phrase "tak on the table!", imitating the sound of an object being struck on a surface. The word "tak" refers to a controversial police statement from 1987, used to describe the death of a student activist in police custody.

Starbucks' operator in South Korea, the Shinsegae Group, concluded after an internal investigation that the error was unintentional. The team behind the campaign apparently failed to connect it to the historical event, and management also failed to detect the problem. The promotion was quickly withdrawn, but the damage was already considerable.

Shinsegae apologized for what it called "inappropriate marketing" and acknowledged a serious drop in sales in one of the chain's largest global markets. The general manager of Starbucks Korea was fired. In June, all of the country's cafes closed for half a day to allow staff to attend history classes.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung personally criticized the campaign, saying it "insults the victims and the bloody struggle" of the Gwangju residents. His government announced an official boycott of Starbucks. The opposition responded by brandishing Starbucks cups during public speeches, denouncing what it called an abuse of power. Since then, the Starbucks cup has become a symbol displayed by conservative circles at rallies and live streams.