The "Tank Day" promotion sparked a boycott movement against Starbucks in South Korea<\/p>\n
South Korean police have raided the national headquarters of Starbucks over defamation claims surrounding a controversial marketing campaign.<\/p>\n
Starbucks Korea had in May launched a coffee tumbler promotion called "Tank Day" on the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, where hundreds were believed to have been killed by military forces.<\/p>\n
Many felt the "tank" was a reference to vehicles deployed to crush pro-democracy protesters and the promotion sparked a mass boycott movement.<\/p>\n
Starbucks quickly rolled it back, saying it was unintentional but civic groups filed a criminal complaint against the company, demanding the police investigate it for defaming victims of the military dictatorship.<\/p>\n
Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks in Korea, said it had launched an internal investigation into the campaign and concluded that the mistake was unintentional.<\/p>\n
It added the team that had planned the promotion did not draw the connection to the historical event, and the upper management had failed to spot it as well.<\/p>\n
In June, Starbucks stores across the country closed for half a day to allow staff to attend history lessons.<\/p>\n
Shinsegae apologised for the "inappropriate marketing" and said that the Tank Day controversy had led to serious decline in Starbucks sales in South Korea – one of the coffee chain's largest markets.<\/p>\n
The company also sacked its chief executive.<\/p>\n
Starbucks Korea sacks CEO over controversial 'Tank Day' promotion<\/p>\n
South Korea's Starbucks to shut for staff history lesson after backlash<\/p>\n
Reports estimate that hundreds were killed by the forces of military dictator Chun Doo-hwan, on what is now remembered as a day of national trauma for South Koreans – and a day held sacred by many in the country.<\/p>\n
In addition, promotional material for the tumbler used the phrase "tak on the table!", mimicking the sound of an object being slapped on a surface.<\/p>\n
But "tak" was also the word used in a controversial statement given by police in 1987, describing the death of a student activist in custody.<\/p>\n