'Tank Day' Controversy Starbucks Sees Rebound in Transactions... Is the 'Talsbeok' Boycott Subsiding?

242 Billion Won in the First Week of June, Up 12.8% from Previous Week
App User Numbers Also Rise, But Still Below Pre-Controversy Levels

The amount spent at Starbucks, which had been declining following the so-called "Tank Day" controversy that erupted on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, rebounded after three weeks. However, it has yet to return to pre-controversy levels, raising questions about whether the boycott movement dubbed "Talsbeok"—meaning quitting Starbucks—has truly subsided.

Starbucks image to aid article understanding. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Mobile Index, an analytics platform operated by AI data tech company IGAWorks, estimated credit and debit card payments at Starbucks from June 1 to 7 amounted to 24.21 billion won.

This figure represents a 12.8% increase compared to the previous week (May 25–31), when spending totaled 21.46 billion won. This is the highest weekly payment amount since the "Tank Day" controversy erupted on May 18.

Starbucks' weekly transaction amounts had declined for two consecutive weeks: from 23.69 billion won during May 18–24 to 21.46 billion won in May 25–31. However, in the first week of June, the trend reversed, moving away from the previous decline.

The number of app users also increased. Between June 1 and 7, the weekly number of users of the Starbucks app reached 3,985,819, up by 138,614 users (3.6%) from the previous week’s 3,847,205.

Previously, on May 18, Starbucks ran a tumbler promotion using phrases such as "Tank Day" and "Bang on the Desk!" This sparked controversy, as the use of "tank" on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and the phrase "Bang on the Desk!" was criticized for evoking the torture and death incident of the late activist Park Jongcheol.

The controversy grew beyond a mere marketing blunder, evolving into criticism that Starbucks had belittled the democratization movement, leading to a boycott. On online communities and social networking services (SNS), many users declared they would stop using Starbucks—a movement dubbed "Talsbeok"—and some consumers reportedly disposed of digital gift certificates or merchandise.

Chong Yongjin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, offered a public apology on the 26th of last month at the Chosun Palace Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, regarding the controversy over Starbucks Korea's 'Tank Day.' Photo by The Asia Business Daily

As the situation escalated, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chong Yongjin issued a public apology. On May 19, he released a statement apologizing for "causing deep hurt to the spirits of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, their families, and the people." As controversy continued, he issued another public apology on May 26. Shinsegae Group is also reported to have initiated disciplinary action against related Starbucks Korea executives and employees, including dismissing the company’s CEO.

With this recent rebound in transaction amounts, Starbucks appears to have moved past the sharp decline at the end of May. However, the first week of June still saw about 7.95 billion won less in payments compared to the pre-controversy period (May 11–17, which recorded 32.16 billion won).

Both the amount spent at Starbucks and the number of app users increased from the previous week, but transaction volumes remain below pre-controversy levels. Since the "Tank Day" controversy fueled the "Talsbeok" boycott movement online, it remains to be seen if this rebound signals a full recovery.

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