Starbucks Korea 'Tank Day' Campaign Triggers Boycotts, CEO Firing, Criminal Probe

Executive Briefing

• Launched on May 18, Starbucks Korea's 'Tank Day' tumbler promotion coincided with the anniversary of a 1980 pro-democracy massacre in Gwangju.
• Reveals AI-assisted copywriting produced a slogan echoing a notorious 1987 police cover-up of a student activist's torture death.
• Sparked a 26% drop in weekly card payments and demands for refunds on an estimated $260 million held in prepaid customer cards.
• Resulted in CEO dismissal, billionaire chairman's televised apology, government agencies cutting ties, and criminal bookings by police.
• Reflects deep South Korean societal divisions over the Gwangju Uprising, intensified since Yoon Suk Yeol's failed 2024 martial law declaration.