Due to "Tank Day", Starbucks Korea is boycotted by civil servants and insulted by the Minister

Starbucks tumblers and glasses are seen scattered during a protest against Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" promotion in front of its store in Gwangju, South Korea, May 21, 2026. (Yonhap)

JAKARTA - Starbucks Korea is in trouble. The tumbler promotion, which was originally just a sales matter, turned into a serious matter, namely history, public wounds, civil servant boycotts, to police investigations.

Reportedly, Yonhap quoted Friday, May 22, the commotion started from an online campaign titled "Tank Day". Starbucks Korea offered discounts for the "Tank" tumbler set. The problem is, the promotion appeared close to the commemoration of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising, one of the darkest events in the history of South Korean democracy.

In 1980, the military crushed a pro-democracy movement in Gwangju. Tanks were deployed to silence protesters. Many civilians were victims.

Therefore, the word "tank" is not just a product name. In South Korea, the word can open up memories of military repression. Therefore, when used for promotion, the public is angry.

The promotion has drawn even more criticism for containing the sentence: "Put it on the table with the sound of 'No!'". The word "No" is said to remind the public of Park Jong-chol, a student activist who died in 1987 after being tortured.

Starbucks Korea finally withdrew the campaign just a few hours after it was launched. But public anger has already spread.

The Korean Government Employees' Union, the South Korean civil service union, then asked its members to boycott Starbucks. They sent notices to branches across the country.

"The union views this situation very seriously and proposes a boycott of Starbucks. Therefore, we ask for active participation," the union said, quoted by Yonhap.

The union also highlighted the habit of giving Starbucks products and gift cards to members. Now, the practice is asked to be stopped.

Another civil servant union, the Confederation of Korean Government Employees' Unions, also issued a call for its members not to use Starbucks gift cards.

The pressure did not stop at the union. South Korean Minister of the Interior Yun Ho-jung also expressed his attitude. He promised not to use Starbucks products in government events.

Through a post on X, Yun expressed "deep regret" over the promotion of Starbucks Korea, which he called ahistorical.

"Democracy is built on the sacrifice and dedication of many citizens," Yun wrote. "Treating history lightly or using it as a commercial material is a matter that cannot be taken lightly at all."

Starbucks Korea is operated by E-Mart, an affiliate of Shinsegae. Now, this matter is also in the realm of law.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will investigate a report against Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin and former head of Starbucks Korea Son Jung-hyun. The report was filed by a civil society group for alleged insults and defamation.

The case, which was originally filed with the Gangnam Police Station, has been transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

The transfer of the case was made after a group of civil society reported Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin and former head of Starbucks Korea Son Jung-hyun for alleged insults and defamation related to the "Tank Day" promotion.