Starbucks Korea’s ‘Tank Day’ gaffe spirals into political clash over boycott calls
The controversy over Starbucks Korea’s “Tank Day” promotion is rapidly escalating into a political clash ahead of the June 3 local elections. The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are intensifying their response to the coffee chain, which is accused of mocking the May 18 Gwangju Uprising and the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy, while the opposition party has characterized government-led criticism and boycott campaigns as “state violence.” With the controversy emerging only two weeks before the elections, the conservative opposition bloc is reacting more sensitively to the liberal ruling party’s criticisms, as hate speech directed at the pro-democracy movement and the ferry sinking have largely come from far-right online groups associated with conservative politicians. Starbucks Korea came under fire last week after launching a “Tank Day” tumbler promotion on May 18 that evoked the military suppression in 1980 of pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju under the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan, who became president later that year. The campaign was scrapp
