South Korean police raid local Starbucks headquarters over controversial marketing campaign

South Korean authorities conducted a raid on the headquarters of Starbucks' local operations in Seoul, as part of an investigation into a marketing campaign deemed offensive to pro-democracy movements from the 1980s. The police searched the Starbucks headquarters on Tuesday, but provided no further information. South Korean media reported that investigators also searched the homes of Starbucks executives.

The controversy arose after Starbucks promoted a series of stainless-steel tumblers, dubbed "SS Tank," and designated May 18 as "Tank Day." This date commemorates a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju, which was violently suppressed by South Korea's military government. The campaign included the slogan "Thwack it on the table!", which was interpreted as a reference to a 1987 police statement that downplayed the death of student activist Park Jong-chol.

In response to widespread public outrage, Shinsegae Group, which holds a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, halted the campaign and dismissed the CEO of Starbucks Korea. The company's chairman, Chung Yong-jin, later issued a televised apology. As a result, all Starbucks stores in South Korea were shut down on June 22 for mandatory education on history and social sensitivity.

The police initiated the investigation following complaints from relatives of victims of the Gwangju crackdown, which resulted in approximately 200 deaths. South Korea transitioned to genuine democracy in 1987, following the forced acceptance of a constitutional amendment by then-President Chun Doo-hwan, who had overseen the Gwangju crackdown, in the face of massive pro-democracy protests.