The South Korean government is reviewing whether to revoke an award previously given to Starbucks Korea.
According to Yonhap News on May 24, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups recently discussed this matter. The review follows the company's use of the phrases 'Tank Day' and 'Tap on the Desk' during a tumbler promotion on the anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement.
Last November, Starbucks received a Prime Minister's Award in the category of cooperative growth for its contributions, which included supporting the development of beverages using local specialties, aiding small businesses affected by floods, and supporting local farmers.
The award law stipulates that honors can be revoked if the recipient's achievements are found to be false, if they have committed crimes against national security, or if they have been sentenced to death, life imprisonment, or a prison term of one year or more that has been finalized.
However, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups reportedly analyzed the records submitted by Starbucks at the time and determined that they did not meet the criteria for revocation in connection with the current controversy.
Despite this, there are ongoing calls for a boycott of Starbucks products, indicating that the social backlash remains significant, and some observers believe the possibility of revoking the government award still exists.
According to the 'Government Award Guidelines' published by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety earlier this year, the government regularly checks and manages the occurrence of revocation criteria and states that if social controversies arise, it may consider revocation as necessary.
If a department overseeing an award requests the revocation of a recipient, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will review it and present it as an agenda item to the Cabinet meeting.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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