South Korean retail tycoon Chung Yong-jin has issued his second apology in two weeks after a Starbucks Korea campaign sparked outrage by referencing a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980.
Chung, chairman of Shinsegae Group, which owns a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, bowed three times during a televised statement, pleading for forgiveness from families of democracy activists killed by the former military dictatorship.
The coffee chain had promoted a large tumbler it calls a "tank" by declaring May 18 - the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising - as "Tank Day." The campaign also used the slogan "Thwack it on the table!," a phrase many viewed as referencing the 1987 police cover-up of the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol.
Within hours of the backlash, Shinsegae canceled the promotion, fired the CEO of Starbucks Korea, and police opened an investigation based on complaints from families of those killed in Gwangju.
Chung asked the public not to take out their frustration on store staff. The controversy has also sparked calls for boycotts, with Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung banning Starbucks products from government events and calling the campaign "anti-historical behavior."
President Lee Jae Myung condemned the campaign on X, calling it "inhumane and disgraceful behavior by cheap profiteers." A Shinsegae official told Reuters that sales have fallen dramatically since the controversy erupted.