Starbucks Korea boss fired over advert evoking 1980 massacre

Reusable tumbler promo tied to Gwangju massacre sparks CEO’s dismissal

The head of Starbucks Korea has been dismissed after a marketing campaign that evoked a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters provoked outrage, including from South Korea’s president.

The date coincides with one of the most politically sensitive days in South Korea’s calendar, when citizens commemorate the 1980 democratisation movement in Gwangju, 167 miles (270km) south-west of Seoul.

Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, issued a public apology Tuesday over the controversial “Tank Day” promotion held by Starbucks Korea on Monday, the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising — a marketing blunder that drew criticism from President Lee Jae Myung.