South Korean Starbucks boss apologizes for ad campaign that evoked massacre

Seoul, South Korea — South Korean retail tycoon Chung Yong-jin on Tuesday issued his second apology in two weeks as Starbucks' local operation faced a backlash over a recent marketing campaign that was widely perceived as mocking victims of a bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980. Chung, chairman of Shinsegae Group, which owns a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, bowed three times during a televised statement as he pleaded for forgiveness from the families of democracy activists killed by the country's former military dictatorship and from the broader public. Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin bows his head during a press conference at the Josun Palace Luxury Collection Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, on May 26, 2026 as he issued a formal public apology regarding a ''Tank Day'' marketing promotion by Starbucks Korea Gwangju Democratization Movement. Chris Jung / NurPhoto via The coffee chain sparked public outrage when it attempted to promote a large size of a tumbler it calls a "tank" by declaring May 18 to be "Tank Day." That's the anniversary of a democratic uprising in the southern city of Gwangju that was brutally suppressed by troops, tanks and helicopters, killing or injuring hundreds. The campaign compounded outrage by using the slogan "Thwack it on the table!," which many read as a reference to a notorious 1987 police statement that attempted to cover up the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol. …