President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday sharply criticized Starbucks Korea for running a "Tank Day" marketing campaign on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, saying he was "outraged by the inhumane, depraved behavior of these low-grade peddlers who deny the values of the Republic of Korea's community, basic human rights and democracy."
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Lee said, "A '5·18 Tank Day' event that desecrates the bloody struggle of the Gwangju victims and Gwangju citizens on the historic anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement."
"How many lives were unjustly lost that day, and how grave is the damage to justice and history caused by it — what kind of grudge could have driven them to commit such an act?" Lee said. "Moral, administrative, legal and political responsibility commensurate with this must be imposed."
He also asked, "Have they apologized to the bereaved families and victims of May 18?"
Starbucks Korea halted the Tank Day marketing campaign and posted an apology as public criticism spread on the same day. "We bow our heads and offer our deepest apologies to the spirits of May 18, the May organizations, the citizens of Gwangju, the bereaved family of the late Park Jong-chul, and all those who led South Korea's democratization, who were deeply wounded by today's marketing that contained a wrongful expression regarding the May 18 Democratization Movement," Starbucks Korea said.
