May 18 Groups Send Protest Letter to Starbucks US Headquarters Over 'Tank Day' Marketing

Four Organizations, Including the May 18 Memorial Foundation, Send Protest Letter
Demand Strong Sanctions Against Starbucks Korea

The May 18 Memorial Foundation and the three public organizations related to the May 18 Democratization Movement (the Association of the Injured, the Association of Contributors, and the Bereaved Families Association) announced on June 1 that they had sent an official letter of protest to the headquarters of Starbucks in the United States regarding the "Tank Day" marketing controversy involving Starbucks Korea.

In the English letter addressed to the CEO and the board of directors of Starbucks headquarters, the foundation and the organizations demanded a thorough investigation into the incident, disciplinary action against those responsible, and an official apology.

Chong Yong-jin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, is publicly apologizing for the controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" on the 26th of last month at the Chosun Palace Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

In the letter, they stated, "The May 18 Democratization Movement is a symbol of democracy in the Republic of Korea and is registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World. However, ahead of the anniversary, Starbucks Korea ran a marketing campaign that prominently featured a 'tank,' which was a tool of massacre used by the military dictatorship to violently suppress the citizens of Gwangju and claim innocent lives in May 1980. This campaign inflicted great pain on the victims, their bereaved families, and the citizens."

They further pointed out, "Although Starbucks positions itself globally as a company that upholds diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as well as human rights and social responsibility, the ahistorical actions of its Korean operator, Emart (Shinsegae Group), have seriously damaged the reputation and brand value that Starbucks has built."

They demanded, "Starbucks headquarters must thoroughly investigate how Starbucks Korea and its local operator, Emart (Shinsegae Group), planned and approved such inhumane and irresponsible marketing, recognize the gravity of the situation, and take full responsibility in addressing the issue. We also urge headquarters to impose the strongest possible sanctions on the Korean operator, which has undermined the global brand value and broken the trust in the partnership."

Additionally, they stated, "Starbucks headquarters must officially apologize to the people of the Republic of Korea and the bereaved families of May 18, and must establish rigorous guidelines and oversight systems to prevent the recurrence of such historical insults and human rights-violating marketing in the future. If responsible measures are not implemented immediately, it will be tantamount to admitting that the global human rights standards that Starbucks has declared have collapsed in the Korean market."

On May 18, the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement, Starbucks Korea faced criticism for its "Tank Day" marketing, in which promotional materials used phrases such as "5/18," "Tank Day," and "Thump on the Desk!" Critics argued that this trivialized both the May 18 Democratization Movement and the death of Park Jongcheol, who was killed during torture by authorities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.