Alleged political campaign in Starbucks Korea stores violates the law, The Guardian and Associated Press report

• Starbucks Korea’s political campaign in Seul has been reviewed by the company’s advertising, which violates the law, according to an investigation by The Guardian and Associated Press.
• The company included in its “SS Tank” campaign, which ran from 18 April “Tank Day” promotions that were linked to the inauguration of Chun Doo-hwan in 1980.
• After Shinsegae Group received a request from the police, it said it had suspended the political campaign run by Starbucks Korea, while on 22 April the company closed stores for the purpose of campaigning.

Starbucks Korea’s political campaign in South Korea, which the investigation found was designed to draw attention to the company’s marketing, was linked to the country’s authoritarian rule in the 1980s. The Guardian and Associated Press reported on the matter.

According to police data, the company’s advertising was distributed in the form of leaflets, and in each case it contained information about the specific candidate. The details were not disclosed, but the media reported that the leaflets were distributed by Starbucks Korea employees.

Starbucks Korea’s campaign used the slogan “Thwack it on the table!” as part of its promotion of the “SS Tank” brand, which ran from 18 April “Tank Day”. The date, which the police said was chosen to coincide with the inauguration of Chun Doo-hwan, the then president, was also linked to the 1980s.

The materials also included the phrase “Thwack it on the table!” The materials contained a statement that the bag would be given to customers who visited Starbucks Korea outlets after 1987, when the bag was launched. The materials also stated that the bag was officially distributed, and that Park Jong-chul, who later died, was the person who “invented the idea of ‘hitting it on the table’”.

In its report, The Guardian and Associated Press said that Shinsegae Group, which owns 67.5% of Starbucks Korea, used the promotion to support its candidate. Shinsegae Chung Yong-jin, who was the candidate, had a public profile in the election.

Starbucks Korea, which operates all 22 stores across the country, said the promotion was intended to provide customers with a new experience. The investigation found that the materials contained political messaging related to the former president Chun Doo-hwan, who led the country at the time of the democratic transition.

Tags: USA/Politics