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Starbucks Korea boss loses job after ‘Tank Day’ promotion misfires

Sohn Jeong-hyun was fired after the campaign caused public outrage for evoking painful memories of the Gwangju Uprising.

Published: 9:02pm, 20 May 2026

The head of Starbucks Korea has been fired after a marketing campaign sparked public outrage for its insensitivity to a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980. Shinsegae Group, the retail conglomerate that licenses and manages the US coffee chain in South Korea, sacked Sohn Jeong-hyun for carrying out “inappropriate marketing”.

Starbucks Korea boss loses job after ‘Tank Day’ promotion misfires

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Sohn Jeong-hyun was fired after the campaign caused public outrage for evoking painful memories of the Gwangju Uprising.

Sohn Jeong-hyun was fired after the campaign caused public outrage for evoking painful memories of the Gwangju Uprising.