Starbucks Korea's chief executive issued an apology following widespread criticism of a marketing campaign that many South Koreans viewed as mocking victims of a 1980 military massacre.

The controversy centered around what critics called a "Tank Day" promotion, which was widely interpreted as referencing the bloody military crackdown in Gwangju in May 1980. During that incident, South Korean troops killed hundreds of pro-democracy protesters in what became known as the Gwangju Uprising.

The marketing campaign triggered significant public outrage in South Korea, where the 1980 massacre remains a sensitive historical trauma. Many consumers and activists condemned the promotion as insensitive to the memory of those killed during the military suppression.

Starbucks Korea reported a sharp decline in sales following the backlash, as consumers boycotted the coffee chain in response to the controversial campaign. The company's CEO apologized for the promotion amid mounting public pressure.

The Gwangju Uprising was a pivotal moment in South Korea's democratization movement, when citizens protested against the military government that had seized power in a coup. The violent government response to the protests has remained a source of national trauma and political sensitivity in South Korean society.