Democratic Party Condemns 'Starbucks Tank Day' as "Anti-Historical and Immoral... Will Not Stand By"

Han Byungdo: "A Grave Issue Undermining the Spirit of 5·18... Considering Our Response"

The Democratic Party of Korea has launched a full-scale offensive against Starbucks Korea's so-called '5·18 Tank Day' event, condemning it as "an anti-humanitarian atrocity and a social crime that shakes the foundations of the community."

Starbucks is facing controversy for using the expressions 'Tank Day' and 'Tak on the Desk!' in its promotion on the 18th. Screenshot of the Starbucks app

At a party countermeasure meeting held at the National Assembly on this day, Democratic Party floor leader Han Byungdo strongly criticized, "Yesterday, which marked the 46th anniversary of the 5·18 Democratization Movement, Starbucks announced a bizarre event called '5·18 Tank Day.' Not even the atmosphere of remembrance has fully subsided, and yet another nail has been driven into the hearts of Gwangju citizens."

Han continued, "Turning the noble sacrifice of May in Gwangju into a commodity is an inhumane act that even street thugs would not be allowed to commit. This is neither freedom of expression nor a simple event," adding, "This evokes not only despair but also overwhelming anger."

He further warned, "There is a strong suspicion that this is not simply the deviation of an ignorant individual," and emphasized, "We will never overlook this anti-historical conduct."

Democratic Party deputy floor leader Ahn Dogeol also criticized at the meeting, "This clearly reveals how completely a sense of history and democratic sensitivity have collapsed within the company," and asserted, "The sacrifice of Gwangju must never be used as a marketing tool."

In particular, regarding the controversial phrases, he argued, "The term 'Tank' evokes the armored vehicles and state violence of the martial law troops that trampled Gwangju in May 1980," and, "It directly connects to expressions used by far-right groups to mock and distort the 5·18 movement." Regarding the phrase 'Tak on the Desk,' he pointed out, "This reminds people of the infamous government statement during the torture and death of activist Park Jongcheol in 1987, when authorities falsely claimed, 'He died after a loud bang on the desk.'"

Ahn further stated, "What is even more problematic is that these expressions were not simply a mistake, but went through planning, review, and approval processes to be officially released as promotional materials," and called on Starbucks to overhaul its human rights sensitivity verification system and to conduct a thorough internal review and accountability process for content planning and approval.

After the meeting, party spokesperson Lee Juhee told reporters, "We deeply regret that this controversy erupted yesterday, the day of the 5·18 memorial service," and added, "As this is a serious issue that undermines the spirit of 5·18, the party leadership will be considering various responses accordingly."

Starbucks Korea has sparked nationwide outrage by holding the Tank Day event on May 18, the 46th anniversary of the 5·18 Democratization Movement. As part of a tumbler promotion running from May 15 to 26, the company used phrases like 'Tank Day' and 'Tak on the Desk,' which have been pointed out, especially on social media, as expressions that disparage the 5·18 Democratization Movement and the 1987 torture and death case of activist Park Jongcheol. As the controversy spiraled out of control, Chung Yongjin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, dismissed Sohn JungHyun, CEO of Starbucks Korea, and issued a public apology on the morning of May 19. However, both online and offline boycotts continue to intensify, and the situation is only worsening.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.