Starbucks Korea dismissed its chief executive Son Jeong-hyun following a marketing campaign called "Tank Day" that coincided with the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement massacre. The promotion, launched May 18, drew immediate backlash across social media where users smashed Starbucks merchandise and deleted the mobile app in protest.

The timing proved catastrophic as May 18 commemorates when military dictatorship forces used tanks to crush pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju, killing hundreds. President Lee Jae Myung condemned the campaign as "inhumane" for mocking citizens' democratic struggle. Starbucks Korea halted the promotion within hours and issued a public apology acknowledging the campaign trivialized historical trauma.

Outraged consumers shared videos destroying Starbucks tumblers while boycotting stores nationwide. Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks Korea, launched an internal investigation and mandated historical education for all executives. The company specifically apologized to the family of activist Park Jong-cheol, whose torture death became symbolic of military dictatorship brutality.

Starbucks Global in Seattle also issued apologies, calling any offense unintentional. The incident highlights how historical sensitivity remains paramount in South Korean marketing, especially given recent martial law tensions that resurfaced democratic movement anxieties.