Starbucks US Headquarters Apologizes for 'Tank Day' Incident Related to May 18th Democratization Movement

Starbucks' US headquarters has officially apologized regarding the incident during the May 18th Democratization Movement when tanks were mobilized. The May 18th Memorial Foundation announced on the 7th that it had received a reply from Starbucks' US headquarters, apologizing for the historical significance of the May 18th Democratization Movement and the pain of the victims. The headquarters also added that it had reported the demands made by the May 18th organizations to its senior management.

Previously, the three official organizations related to the May 18th Uprising (the Association of Injured Persons, the Association of Meritorious Persons, and the Bereaved Families Association), along with the May 18th Memorial Foundation, sent a letter of protest to Starbucks headquarters on the 1st. They demanded an internal investigation, an official apology, and responsible follow-up measures.

On the 29th of last month, the May 18th Memorial Foundation requested the National Pension Service, the second-largest shareholder of Emart, to review measures for exercising shareholder rights concerning Emart, the largest shareholder of Starbucks Korea. The National Pension Service responded that it would review the proposed contents.

The foundation explained that it had demanded companies and advertising agencies that placed ads on Ilbe, an extreme-right online community where posts distorting the May 18th Uprising appear, to cease their advertising, and that all related advertisements have since been halted.