▲ A Starbucks coffee shop in Seoul is seen on May 19, 2026, as Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin apologized over Starbucks Korea's controversial online promotion. (Yonhap)
▲ Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin is seen in this undated file photo. (Yonhap)

Shinsegae chairman-apology

Shinsegae chairman offers apology over Starbucks Korea's 'Tank Day' event

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin on Tuesday issued an apology over a promotional event by Starbucks Korea that sparked backlash for evoking painful memories associated with South Korea's military rule on the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement.

Chung's apology came a day after the coffee chain, operated by Shinsegae affiliate E-Mart, launched an online "Tank Day" promotion on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju uprising before halting the event within hours amid mounting criticism.

"We have caused deep pain to the spirits of those who died in the May 18 democratization movement, their bereaved families and the Korean people," Chung said in a statement. "I bow my head in apology on behalf of the group."

The promotion offered discounts on "Tank" tumbler sets along with the phrase, "Put it on the table with a sound of 'Tak!'"

The campaign quickly drew criticism from civic groups and online users, who said the word "tank" recalled military vehicles deployed during the crackdown on the uprising, while "tak" was seen by some as evoking the 1987 torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol.

Chung described the event as "an inappropriate marketing campaign" that should never have taken place and "cannot be tolerated."

"This was an inexcusable mistake that trivialized the pain and sacrifices of all those who devoted themselves to democracy in this country," he said.

Chung also acknowledged that the group as a whole lacked sufficient historical awareness and sensitivity regarding the country's historical trauma, pledging to thoroughly investigate how the campaign was approved, and review the decision-making and marketing processes of its subsidiaries.

The apology came after President Lee Jae Myung strongly criticized the promotion on social media platform X on Monday, calling it "inhumane behavior by lowly profiteers" that undermined the country's core values of human rights and democracy.

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