·A Starbucks coffee shop in Seoul (Yonhap) Starbucks’ US headquarters on Sunday officially apologized to victims of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising and their families for a Starbucks Korea promotional event that evoked memories of the military crackdown on the 1980 pro-democracy movement.
·The May 18 Memorial Foundation said it received a written response from the US headquarters expressing regret over the incident, calling it an “inappropriate marketing campaign” that should never have happened.
·“We apologize for the pain caused to the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and their families, and we recognize the historical significance of the movement,” the company said in its statement.
·It added that the concerns raised by the May 18 organizations had been forwarded to senior management for review.
·The apology follows backlash after the coffee chain, operated by Shinsegae affiliate E-Mart, launched an online promotion named “Tank Day” on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju uprising.
