Starbucks US Headquarters Issues Formal Apology for Controversial Marketing
Starbucks’ United States headquarters has issued a formal apology to the 5·18 Memorial Foundation concerning a marketing campaign by Starbucks Korea that has drawn significant criticism. The campaign, reportedly titled ‘Tank Day,’ has been deemed “unacceptable marketing” by the company’s global leadership.
Apology Delivered to Memorial Foundation
According to information received by the 5·18 Memorial Foundation, Starbucks’ US headquarters communicated its apology on May 2nd. In its statement, the company expressed profound regret for the “unacceptable marketing” and extended its apologies for the “historical significance of the 5·18 Democratization Movement and the pain of its victims.”
Previously, on May 1st, the three major organizations representing victims of the Gwangju Uprising – the Association of the Bereaved, the Association of the Disabled, and the Association of the Bereaved Families – had sent a letter of protest to Starbucks headquarters. They demanded a comprehensive internal investigation, a public apology, and responsible follow-up measures.
Company Acknowledges Demands
In response to these demands, Starbucks’ US headquarters informed the foundation that the “requests from the May 18th organizations have been reported to senior management internally.”
Furthermore, the foundation had also requested the National Pension Service (NPS), a major shareholder in E-mart (Starbucks Korea’s parent company), to review the shareholding structure. The foundation stated that the NPS responded affirmatively, indicating they would “review the matter.”
Online Content Removal Follows Protests
The foundation also revealed that it had requested the cessation of advertising on Ilbe, an online community platform known for hosting content that distorts the 5·18 Gwangju Uprising. Following these requests, all related advertisements have reportedly been removed from the platform.
