Starbucks Korea headquarters raided

South Korean police searched Starbucks Korea’s headquarters in Seoul on August 5 as part of an investigation into the company’s “Tank Day” marketing campaign, which ran on the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju uprising. The search focused on records tied to how the promotion was approved and whether company staff knowingly used language that insulted victims of the military crackdown, according to multiple reports. Starbucks Korea confirmed the raid and said it was cooperating with investigators. The case has become one of the company’s biggest recent crises in South Korea after the campaign triggered public outrage, boycotts and formal complaints. ### Why did police search the company’s office on Wednesday? The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency carried out the search at Starbucks Korea’s headquarters in the Centerfield building in Seoul’s Gangnam district at about 8:50 a.m. on August 5, UPI and other outlets reported. Investigators were seeking internal materials tied to the promotion after complaints accused the company of insulting people recognized for their role in the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising. (upi.com) A court warrant was issued on suspicion of insult, according to reports citing Yonhap and other local coverage. Chosun’s English-language report said the raid came 76 days after police opened the investigation. ### What was the “Tank Day” promotion? Starbucks Korea launched the online promotion on May 18 to market a line of stainless-steel tumblers branded “Tank.” The use of “Tank Day” on that date drew immediate criticism because May 18 marks the anniversary of the Gwangju uprising, when military forces used tanks and armored vehicles during the 1980 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. (upi.com) (chosun.com) At least 165 civilians were killed in the crackdown, according to one report summarizing the historical toll, while other accounts have described the death toll more broadly in the hundreds. The promotion was widely seen in South Korea as making light of one of the country’s defining democracy movements. ### How did Starbucks Korea respond after the backlash? (upi.com) Starbucks Korea halted the promotion and apologized after the criticism spread. The company’s parent group, Shinsegae, has previously said its internal review found no evidence of intentional wrongdoing, according to reports carried by AFP and other outlets. Local coverage summarized by other outlets said Starbucks Korea also dismissed its chief executive and that Shinsegae executives issued public apologies. (businesstoday.com.my) One report said stores were closed early for mandatory history and sensitivity training, though that detail was not confirmed across all accounts. ### How big was the public fallout? (upi.com) Starbucks Korea faced a boycott campaign after the promotion spread online. AFP-reported coverage said the company’s estimated credit and debit card payment volume fell 17% from May to June, citing local data platform IGAWorks. The controversy also drew broader scrutiny because the Gwangju uprising remains a highly sensitive event in South Korea’s modern political history. (straitstimes.com) News reports described the campaign as one of the country’s most prominent recent corporate public-relations crises. ### What happens next in the investigation? (manilatimes.net) Starbucks Korea said an investigative authority had conducted the search as part of an ongoing probe and that the company was cooperating. Police are expected to review internal records and approval materials tied to the campaign as they determine whether to pursue the insult allegations further. (abc17news.com) The next public milestone is likely to be any announcement by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency or prosecutors on whether the evidence seized on August 5 supports charges against company officials or employees. (chosun.com) (businesstoday.com.my)