Chung Yong-jin, the retail tycoon in charge of Starbucks Korea, apologized yesterday for a marketing campaign that made fun of a 1980 massacre of pro-democracy protestors. It was the executive's second apology in two weeks; he bowed three times during his televized statement.
The coffee chain sparked public outrage when it attempted to promote a large size of tumbler it calls a "tank" by declaring May 18 to be "Tank Day." That's the anniversary of a democratic uprising in the southern city of Gwangju that was brutally suppressed by troops, tanks and helicopters, killing or injuring hundreds.
One of the campaign slogans, "Thwack it!," seems to refer to the 1987 police cover-up of student activist Park Jong-chol's death under torture.
Police claimed that Park died suddenly after investigators "hit the desk with a thwack."
Chung's Shinsegae Group owns a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, and the Associated Press reports that he fired its CEO within hours of the promotion going live. And this was just the beginning of an apology tour that seems not to be working.
"I take it very seriously the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger because of Starbucks Korea's inappropriate marketing campaign," Chung said Tuesday.
The marketing department seems to be out of control—"employees refused management requests to hand over their smartphones during a weeklong internal review"—and the company is now being boycotted by public and government departments alike. France 24 reports a "very significant" slump in sales.
Embedded below is AP video of Chung's apology, shot by Yong Jun Chang at the press event.
Here's Reuters coverage, which includes footage from the 1980 crackdown, during which hundreds of demonstrators were killed.
Previously: Here's how South Korea makes vinyl records
