(LEAD) Police raid Starbucks Korea over controversial promotional event

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- Police conducted a raid on Starbucks Korea headquarters on Wednesday, amid allegations of insult related to a marketing campaign that honored the 1980 military crackdown on South Korea's May 18 pro-democracy uprising. The search and seizure targeted the coffee chain's "Tank Day" promotion, which critics claimed defamed the victims of the violent military suppression in Gwangju.

A civic group had filed a complaint against Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin, alleging insult and defamation against the uprising victims and their bereaved family members. The warrant mentioned Starbucks Korea's alleged insult towards those involved in the pro-democracy movement. The investigation into the coffee chain started in May, following public outcry over the controversial campaign.

Starbucks Korea's internal inspection into the campaign revealed shortcomings, and the company subsequently scrapped the promotion. The controversy arose from offering discounts on "Tank" tumbler sets, accompanied by the phrase, "Put it on the table with a sound of 'Tak!'" The use of "tank" and "Tak" drew criticism due to their association with the military's violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators and student activist Park Jong-cheol's death under police torture during the Gwangju uprising.

In response to the backlash, Starbucks Korea's CEO was terminated, and Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung publicly apologized for the campaign.