Starbucks South Korea Apologizes Again After ‘Tank Day' Campaign Sparks Outrage
Starbucks South Korea's head, Shinsegae Group chairman, Chung Yong-jim, recently apologized for a major marketing blunder following a backlash against the company for promoting tank-shaped tumblers to mark the country's solemn May 18 ‘Tank Day.' This is the second public apology in the past few weeks for the wildly inappropriate campaign.
What Is 'Tank Day'?
The coffee company reportedly used the anniversary of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising in an advertising promotion. On May 18, 1980, a student-led protest in South Korea's city of Gwangju against the military dictator Chun Doo-hwan turned violent when the military responded with force (including tanks). Hundreds of lives were lost, leading to an annual day of remembrance for the innocent victims.
What Is Starbucks 'Tank Day' Campaign?
While the holiday is a somber time to memorialize the tragic events of May 18, Starbucks is accused of using it as a marketing tool. The company was set to debut promotional tumblers shaped like tanks and the slogan, "Thwack it on the table." Of course, the offensive idea outraged consumers, prompting protests against Starbucks.
How Did Starbucks Respond to the 'Tank Day' Backlash?
Majority Starbucks owner, the Shinsegae Group, has now apologized twice for the outrageous idea. Chung said, in a recent press conference, "First of all, I, as Chairman of Shinsegae Group, sincerely apologize to and ask for forgiveness from bereaved families of May 18 democratic uprising victims, the bereaved family of Park Jong-chol, citizens of Gwangju, and South Korean people who have felt deep hurt and disappointment over this matter."
He continued, "I take it very seriously the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger because of Starbucks Korea's inappropriate marketing campaign…I will make no excuses. I am solely responsible for the matter. It is my fault."
Outrage spread from South Korea across the globe, with critics of the company flocking to social media. One confused commenter asked on a recent Reddit post, "How does something like this even get all the way to becoming an actual product?" while others wrote, "How do people get to CEO positions while being this stupid?" and, "Honestly, how did not one person notice this? Or did someone notice but didn't feel comfortable speaking up?"
Obviously, Starbucks immediately pulled the campaign. But that may not be enough to regain consumers' confidence. Following the second public apology, shares of the Shinsegae Group fell by 2.8%. While they did make a slight recovery, it doesn't look like Starbucks South Korea's customers are ready to forgive and forget yet.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 8:57 AM.