Overview
- The promotion for a new “Tank” tumbler line ran on May 18, the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, and was pulled within hours as customers linked the name and a slogan to traumatic historical events; Starbucks Korea’s CEO Son Jeong-hyun was dismissed the same day.
- A Shinsegae Group internal review found no clear evidence of deliberate intent but said marketers used an AI tool to generate slogans and some managers approved materials without properly reviewing attachments.
- Starbucks’ U.S. headquarters issued a written apology to Gwangju victims and families and Shinsegae’s chairman made repeated public apologies, including a televised bow, while the companies said they would review standards and training.
- Public reactions included videos of customers smashing tumblers, mass deletions of loyalty accounts, demands for prepaid-card refunds, suspension of government ties, and a sharp fall in card spending at South Korean stores.
- Victims’ groups have lodged formal protests and urged shareholder pressure through the National Pension Service, and police and administrative probes that reportedly classify senior executives as suspects remain under way.