South Korean police raid Starbucks over alleged insult to victims of 1980 military suppression

South Korean police raided the headquarters of Starbucks Korea on Wednesday over allegations of an insult stemming from a marketing campaign that evoked painful memories of the 1980 military suppression of a pro-democracy uprising, according to local media reports.

The raid came over the coffee chain’s “Tank Day” reusable cup promotion on the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, which according to critics insulted the victims of the military crackdown in the southwestern city of Gwangju in which at least 165 people were killed, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The campaign stoked an immediate public backlash, as the word “tank” evoked memories of the military’s violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators during the uprising.

The raid took place after police began investigating the coffee chain in May over the alleged defamation following a complaint filed by a civic group against Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin over insult allegations.

E-Mart, a key affiliate of Shinsegae Group, holds the controlling stake in Starbucks Korea

Investigators seek to look into whether company officials planned the promotional event with the intent to insult those involved in the pro-democracy movement.

Following the public reaction, the head of Starbucks Korea was fired, while Chung apologized for the campaign.