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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Shahana Yasmin

BIZARRE: Police raid starbucks headquarters over disastrous ad campaign - What They Never Told You

Police Starbucks Korea
  • South Korean police raided Starbucks Korea's headquarters as part of a criminal investigation into its controversial "Tank Day" promotional campaign.
  • The campaign was accused of mocking the 1980 Gwangju uprising, a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy protests, and referencing the torture death of activist Park Jong-cheol.
  • Investigators are probing whether Starbucks Korea employees deliberately approved marketing that referenced these sensitive historical events, with the warrant issued on suspicion of insult.
  • Starbucks Korea withdrew the campaign, apologized for its "extremely inappropriate" wording, dismissed its CEO, and pledged to strengthen internal review procedures and historical awareness training.
  • The controversy sparked widespread public outrage, calls for a boycott, and political criticism, with some opposition figures accusing police of political motivation for the raid.

IN FULL

Starbucks Korea offices raided over controversial ‘Tank Day’ campaign

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