Starbucks 'Tank Day' Controversy Spreads...Superintendent Candidates Condemn "May 18 Insult"

"Insult to the Pain of May 18 and the History of Democracy"
Candidates Pledge to Strengthen Historical Education through Public Schools

Starbucks is facing strong criticism and statements of condemnation from candidates for Superintendent of the Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City over its "Tank Day" marketing and the use of the phrase "Desk Slam" on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.

The candidates unanimously characterized the incident as a grave matter that insults the pain of May 18 and the history of democracy. They declared that they would vigorously pursue measures to strengthen historical education through public education.

(From left) Kim Daejung, Lee Jungseon, Jang Gwanho, Candidate for Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam Gwangju Integration

On May 19, Kim Daejung, a candidate for Superintendent, issued a statement titled "Strong Condemnation of Deplorable Business Tactics Mocking the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement," expressing outrage that "an ignorant act of making even historical tragedies the subject of ridicule for corporate profit has occurred in broad daylight."

Kim stated, "The tank is a brutal symbol of state violence that trampled innocent Gwangju citizens and destroyed democracy in May 46 years ago. I am overwhelmed with anger at the shallow historical awareness of a corporation that turned the pain and sacrifice of that day into a mere topic for marketing gimmicks."

He continued, "As a candidate for Superintendent, whose duty is to teach our children the 'correct history' and 'universal values of democracy,' I cannot simply stand by and watch this incident." He demanded an immediate apology and a responsible response from Starbucks.

Jang Gwanho, another candidate, also released a press statement, emphasizing, "May 18 is a symbol of democracy defended with the lives of citizens in the face of state violence. Using expressions that evoke this history for commercial marketing purposes cannot be justified for any reason."

Jang pointed out, "This proves that the education authorities' function of verifying historical awareness is not working properly and undermines public trust in education." As preventative measures, he pledged to significantly strengthen education on May 18 and on human rights and democracy, to expand student-participatory experiential history education, and to establish standards for historical and human rights sensitivity.

Lee Jeongseon, another candidate, also raised his voice regarding the incident, saying, "I could not hide my deep sorrow over this controversy." Lee stressed the seriousness of the situation, stating, "May 18 is not just a date for Gwangju. It represents our pain and the history of blood and tears shed to defend democracy."

Lee further asserted, "If the company used these expressions thoughtlessly, that itself is a problem. If it was intentional, it is an even bigger problem. Regardless of Starbucks' apology, any Korean company should at least have a basic understanding of and respect for our history." He added, "Going forward, I will strengthen May 18 civic education in schools so that students can properly remember and act upon this history."

The local education community agrees that, in light of the Starbucks marketing controversy, it has become even more important for education offices to establish a continuous verification system to instill a correct understanding of history in young people and to uphold the values of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement through public education.

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