Police raid Starbucks Korea over controversial promotional event

South Korean police conducted a raid on Starbucks Korea's headquarters on Wednesday, as part of an investigation into a controversial promotional event that sparked protests and boycotts across the nation. The incident, dubbed "Tank Day," occurred after the company advertised large to-go cups in May, seemingly referencing the 1980 Gwangju Uprising where at least 165 civilians were killed by military forces.

The promotion further seemed to reference government denial of torturing a student leader to death during the uprising. The backlash was immediate, prompting public outrage and leading to resignations of key officials, including Starbucks Korea's CEO Son Jung-hyun. Starbucks Korea's CEO, Son Jung-hyun, and chairman Chung Yong-jin of Shinsegae Group, the company's parent organization, resigned following a public apology.

Starbucks Korea claimed they conducted an internal investigation and found no evidence of wrongdoing, but admitted that the inquiry was limited due to the inability to obtain cooperation from those involved in planning the promotion. Police are currently seeking evidence that executives knowingly trivialized the 1980 massacre.