The tycoon who runs Starbucks in South Korea has apologized after a wave of anger. Customers are boycotting the chain and burning the cafe's logo
The billionaire at the helm of the company that operates Starbucks in South Korea has publicly apologized after a controversial marketing campaign accused of referencing one of the bloodiest episodes in the country's democratic history, Sky News reports.
The South Korean coffee shop chain promoted a new range of reusable cups through an event called “Tank Day” held on May 18.
The same date marks the moment when the pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju, nicknamed the “City of Lights”, broke out in 1980, when hundreds of people were killed after the army brutally intervened with troops and tanks to quell student protests.
President 'furious' over marketing campaign
The ad campaign has sparked an extremely harsh backlash in recent days. Some customers began boycotting coffee shops, others broke Starbucks glasses and burned company logos in front of establishments. Even the country's president, Lee Jae Myung, said he was “furious” over the incident.
In a social media post, the South Korean leader described the campaign as “inhumane and shameful behavior by cheap profiteers” that “taints the bloody protests of the citizens of Gwangju and the memory of the victims.”
For its part, South Korea's Ministry of the Interior has announced that it will stop offering products from companies that “minimize” the country's democratic history. Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung accused Starbucks of “anti-historic behavior”.
A memorial coalition in the Gwangju–Jeonnam region described the campaign as “an obvious malicious mockery”, saying it reflected “a biased historical view of the leadership, cynically expressed under the guise of marketing”.
The head of the parent company apologized
Shares in parent company Shinsegae, which owns a majority stake in South Korea's Starbucks, fell on Tuesday after group chief Chung Yong-jin publicly apologized for an “inappropriate marketing campaign” that “hurt and angered many people.”
He admitted the firm had seen a “very significant” drop in sales, but appealed for public anger not to be directed at its employees.
The scandal was also amplified by the campaign slogan, “hit the table with power”, interpreted by many as a reference to a controversial episode in 1987 when the police tried to cover up the torture and death of student activist Park Jong-chol.
The authorities claimed at the time that the young man died suddenly after the investigators “struck the table with force”.
Starbucks pulled the promotion just hours after it launched and apologized, claiming there was no intent to offend the public.
After the wave of criticism, Shinsegae fired the head of Starbucks in South Korea, and Starbucks Global in turn issued an apology and announced the opening of an internal investigation.
