Starbucks Korea’s ‘Tank Day’ gaffe spirals into political clash over boycott calls

Members of the Korean University Progressive Union hold a press conference in front of Starbucks Korea headquarters in Seoul, Saturday, calling for the resignation of Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin and a boycott of Starbucks. Yonhap

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 scrapped within hours, but outrage deepened over a promotional phrase that reminded many of student activist Park Jong-chul, who died after being tortured in 1987.

Another marketing blunder was later unearthed: The company had held a “Siren” mug promotion on April 16, 2024, the anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster that claimed 304 lives. A siren, as featured on the Starbucks logo, is a mythical creature that lures ships to their destruction through song.

“Opening the siren event on the anniversary of the Sewol tragedy... I hope this is not true because it is not something a human being can do,” President Lee Jae Myung wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Taken together with the recent ‘Tank Day’ promotion, it is difficult to view the mockery and insults toward the Gwangju Democratic Uprising and activist Park as mere accidents.”

Lee warned that the company would face public backlash for repeatedly mocking victims of state violence and national tragedies in pursuit of profit.

Government ministries and public institutions have also moved to distance themselves from Starbucks.

Some ministries replaced Starbucks gift cards previously used as prizes for events and surveys with vouchers from other coffee chains.

Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung vowed not to use Starbucks products at official events, saying public institutions should not support companies that trivialize the history and values of democracy or exploit them for commercial purposes.

The Ministry of Justice also instructed the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to review the use of Starbucks tumblers and gift cards in surveys, contests and promotional events.

Furthermore, the Korean Government Employees’ Union distributed an internal notice urging members to join a boycott of Starbucks over what it described as “hate marketing.”

The government also reviewed whether to revoke a commendation previously awarded to Starbucks Korea under regulations allowing such honors to be withdrawn in cases involving social controversy or misconduct.

The DPK joined the government’s move, with leader Rep. Jung Chung-rae urging party members and campaign staff to avoid using Starbucks. Campaign teams for Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o and Gyeonggi gubernatorial candidate Choo Mi-ae also advised staff to refrain from using the coffee chain.

Crushed and broken Starbucks tumblers and cups lie on the ground during a rally criticizing Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" promotional event outside the coffee franchise's store in Gwangju, Thursday. Yonhap

The conservative bloc, while agreeing that Starbucks’ marketing programs deserve criticism, says the ruling bloc is going too far. Some members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) claim the DPK is framing a corporate marketing issue as an ideological conflict to rally liberal voters ahead of the elections.

Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, chairman of the PPP, said Starbucks deserved criticism for using painful historical memories in its marketing, but argued that any boycott should remain a matter for consumers.

“It is collective bullying led by President Lee Jae Myung, another form of violence by the state,” Jang said in a Facebook post.

Regarding Lee’s criticism of the siren event, he said linking it to the Sewol ferry tragedy was an overreaction because a siren features on the company logo.

“Under such logic, people should not place siren orders on April 16,” he wrote on Facebook, referring to Starbucks’ mobile order system.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is running for reelection on the PPP’s ticket, also criticized the DPK, saying that while consumer boycotts and criticisms are legitimate, direct involvement by the president and ruling party candidates is an entirely different matter.

“I heard Chong Won-o’s camp barred Starbucks, which is ‘swift and precise alignment’ with the president,” Oh wrote on Facebook. “What are the president and the ruling party candidate focusing on while people are suffering from high real estate prices, the weakening won and inflation?”

Lee Soo-jung, head of the PPP’s Suwon Jeong district committee, further fueled the dispute by encouraging supporters on the campaign trail to visit Starbucks stores and post photos of their visits online.