Chung Yong-jin and former Starbucks Korea chief executive Sohn Jung-hyun are now under police investigation following complaints accusing them of insulting victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and their families.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Thursday it reassigned the case from the Seoul Gangnam Police Station to a public crime investigation unit under its metropolitan investigation squad. Authorities are also expected to merge a similar complaint filed in Gwangju, the southwestern city at the center of the 1980 uprising, into the Seoul investigation.
The controversy erupted after Starbucks Korea launched a “Tank Day” promotion on Sunday, the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. The campaign advertised a “Tank” tumbler series alongside phrases such as “Tank Day” and “Tak! on the desk,” prompting criticism that the company had trivialized two of the country’s most painful moments in modern political history.
The May 18 Democratic Uprising began in Gwangju in 1980, when citizens and students protested against the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan. Troops violently suppressed the demonstrations over 10 days, using batons, bayonets and live ammunition against civilians. The uprising later became a defining symbol of South Korea’s democratization movement.
The phrase “Tak! on the desk” drew separate outrage because it echoed the notorious explanation authorities gave after the 1987 torture death of student activist Park Jong-chul. Police initially claimed an officer had struck a desk with a loud “tak,” causing Park to collapse — a cover story that later unraveled and fueled nationwide protests demanding direct presidential elections.
The civic group Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice and People’s Livelihood accused Chung and Sohn of defaming victims of the Gwangju uprising, bereaved families and Gwangju citizens.
Chung removed Sohn from his post Monday as criticism intensified and issued a public apology Tuesday in his capacity as chairman of Shinsegae Group. But boycott calls targeting Starbucks Korea have continued to spread online and among civic groups.
Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung said Thursday on X that he expressed “deep regret over Starbucks Korea’s anti-historical behavior” and that his ministry and other state agencies would stop using products from companies that “take lightly the history and value of democracy” as prizes or promotional giveaways at public events.
A ministry official told AJP that some government event prizes had already been switched from Starbucks mobile vouchers to vouchers from rival coffee chains after Yun’s remarks. Another official said the minister’s comments signaled that government events should avoid products from companies embroiled in major social controversy when alternatives are available.
Some officials said the ministry’s stance could trigger a broader informal boycott across the civil service, given its role in overseeing public administration and workplace culture within government institutions.
President Lee Jae Myung also condemned the campaign, saying on X that he was “outraged” and that those responsible should be held accountable.
The controversy has renewed scrutiny of Chung, who previously faced criticism over social media posts using anti-communist slogans. Such rhetoric remains highly sensitive in South Korea because far-right groups have long promoted discredited claims portraying Gwangju protesters as North Korean sympathizers.
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