SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): Coffeehouse chain Starbucks’ US headquarters apologised on June 7 to victims of the Gwangju democratic uprising and their families for a Starbucks Korea promotional event that evoked memories of the military crackdown on the 1980 pro-democracy movement.
The May 18 Memorial Foundation organisation, set up to honour victims of the uprising in South Korea, said it received a written response from the US headquarters expressing regret over the incident, calling it an “inappropriate marketing campaign” that should never have happened.
“We apologise for the pain caused to the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and their families, and we recognise the historical significance of the movement,” the company said in its statement. It added that the concerns raised by organisations over the incident had been forwarded to senior management for review.
The apology follows backlash after the coffee chain, operated by Shinsegae affiliate E-Mart, launched an online promotion named “Tank Day” on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju uprising.
The promotion featured discounted “Tank” tumbler sets and the slogan “Slam it on the table!” – an expression critics said echoed the sounds of gunfire and military violence associated with the Gwangju crackdown. The company pulled the promotion within hours after it sparked public outrage.
In response to the controversy, the May 18 Memorial Foundation and three organisations representing victims and families affected by the uprising sent a protest letter to Starbucks headquarters on June 1, demanding an investigation, an official apology and follow-up measures.
Separately, the foundation said it had also called on the National Pension Service (NPS), E-Mart’s second-largest shareholder, to consider taking shareholder action against the retailer over the controversy.
The NPS said it would review the proposal, according to the foundation.
The 1980 Gwangju uprising was a response to a coup d’etat that solidified former South Korean president Chun Doo-hwan’s military regime.
The military arrested opposition leaders, closed universities, banned political activities and censored the press. It also violently suppressed the uprising by killing and torturing hundreds of people.
Chun, who served as South Korea’s president from 1980 to 1988, was sentenced to death for his role in the 1980 Gwangju massacre that killed hundreds, but it was later commuted to life imprisonment. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
