South Korean police raid Starbucks Korea over controversial Gwangju-related promotion

South Korean police conducted a raid on Starbucks Korea's headquarters after civic organizations lodged criminal complaints alleging the company's "Tank Day" tumbler promotion defamed victims of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. The campaign, launched in May, featured imagery and wording that many interpreted as referencing the military tanks that crushed pro-democracy protesters, prompting a mass boycott and public outcry. Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks in the country, launched an internal investigation, concluded the mistake was unintentional, dismissed the chief executive and ordered half-day store closures for staff to receive history lessons.

President Lee Jae Myung publicly denounced the marketing as an insult to the slain protesters, while the opposition leader displayed a Starbucks cup in a speech to accuse the government of overreach. The scandal has become a flashpoint in the ongoing local election campaign, with right-wing commentators adopting the Starbucks cup as a symbol of resistance to Lee's administration.