The chairman of Starbucks Korea’s parent company has apologized and begged for forgiveness for an advertisement that seemed to mock a deadly 1980 military crackdown against pro-democracy protesters. The coffee chain declared May 18 to be “Tank Day” to promote a large cup size it calls a “tank,” and adopted the slogan “Thwack it on the table!” But May 18 was also the anniversary of a democratic uprising in the southern city of Gwangju that was brutally suppressed with tanks and helicopters, leaving hundreds of people dead. The “thwack” slogan was also reminiscent of a police statement trying to cover up the death of student activist Park Jong-chol, who was tortured and killed in custody. Police claimed Park died suddenly after investigators “hit the desk with a thwack.” Chairman Chung Yong-jin, whose Shinsegae Group owns a 67.5 percent stake in Starbucks Korea, issued a television apology Tuesday to the pro-democracy protesters and their families, his second apology since May 19. Within hours of the campaign’s launch, Shinsegae canceled it and fired the chief executive of Starbucks Korea, whose marketing team said they never meant to mock the protesters.
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