Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, became the public face of Starbucks Korea’s apology after the coffee chain promoted a large tumbler called a tank through a May 18 promotion labeled “Tank Day.” The date is the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju uprising, when South Korea’s military dictatorship violently suppressed pro-democracy protesters with troops, helicopters, and tanks. Critics also objected to the campaign slogan, which many associated with the 1987 police cover-up phrase connected to the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol. The campaign therefore appeared not merely tone-deaf but historically insulting to victims, bereaved families, democracy activists, and the broader public. Public backlash escalated quickly. Starbucks Korea canceled the promotion, Shinsegae fired the Starbucks Korea chief executive, police opened an inquiry after complaints from victims’ families, government officials encouraged boycotts, and reports described a significant decline in sales. Chung issued an initial apology on May 19, 2026 and then made a televised public apology on May 26th, bowing repeatedly and accepting management responsibility.
Dear citizens, I stand before you today with a heavy and apologetic heart. First, as chairman of Shinsegae Group, I sincerely bow my head in apology and ask for your forgiveness from the families of the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, the families of Park Jong-chul, the citizens of Gwangju, and all citizens who have suffered deep hurt and disappointment because of this incident. Please understand that the reason the results of this investigation were announced late was to thoroughly determine the facts and explain the circumstances in detail. I take very seriously the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger because of Starbucks Korea’s inappropriate marketing. Whatever the reason, the responsibility for hurting the public’s feelings is by no means light. I will make no excuses. I take full responsibility for this incident. It is my fault. All members of Shinsegae Group, including myself, will remember the history and sacrifices of our society, and we will always seek to understand and respect the public’s feelings. However, I would like to make one earnest request here. There are many Starbucks Korea partners and frontline employees who are still working quietly at stores across the country. Please look upon them with a little more warmth. They are simply diligent workers who are doing their best from early morning until late at night at their posts for each and every Starbucks customer. The responsibility lies with the organization and management, including myself.
Dear citizens, I believe this is a time when we need to make greater efforts to understand one another and move forward together. Our views may differ, but I believe we all share the same desire to build a better Republic of Korea and leave a better world for future generations. All members of Shinsegae Group, including myself, will learn from this incident with greater humility and work even harder. We will listen more. We will take greater responsibility. And we will approach our customers with even more sincerity. We will fundamentally review our internal systems and risk management framework, and we will raise our standards for social responsibility even higher. We will make today’s apology not an end, but a beginning. We will create real change through action, not words, and start again from the beginning so that we can regain the public’s trust. Once again, I sincerely bow my head in apology to everyone who has been hurt.
Sources
Kim, T.-H. (2026, May 26). South Korean Starbucks boss apologizes for ad campaign that evoked massacre. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-korea-tank-day-chung-shinsegae-34aa15b186bae6e6dc997f9ac8f71e21
Reuters. (2026, May 26). Shinsegae Chairman makes public apology amid backlash over Starbucks Korea campaign. ThePrint. https://theprint.in/world/shinsegae-chairman-makes-public-apology-amid-backlash-over-starbucks-korea-campaign/2941451/
Al Jazeera. (2026, May 26). Starbucks’ Korean sales fall after backlash to ‘Tank Day’ ad campaign. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/5/26/starbucks-korean-sales-fall-after-backlash-to-tank-day-ad-campaign
The Guardian. (2026, June 16). Starbucks Korea to temporarily shut all stores for history lesson after bungled coffee promotion. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/16/starbucks-korea-shut-all-stores-tank-day-promotion