Starbucks Korea (hereinafter Starbucks) has decided to temporarily postpone its summer promotion and frequency event. The move comes as controversy spreads over the "Tank Day" promotion held on the May 18 Democratic Uprising anniversary.
According to the retail industry on the 21st, Starbucks announced through its internal network the previous day that it would temporarily postpone the "2026 summer (Summer 1) promotion" and the "2026 summer e-frequency" event that were about to begin. The two events are Starbucks' representative summer kick-off promotions. Various goods such as picnic mats, camping chairs, and ice boxes have been popular every summer.
In the notice, Starbucks said, "Due to the current situation, we are reorganizing and reviewing scheduled major events with a heavy sense of responsibility and self-restraint," and added, "We inform you that the Summer 1 promotion and the summer e-frequency event are temporarily postponed, and we will announce the rescheduled timeline later."
This summer promotion was scheduled to run twice from May 28 to July 26, and the frequency event was scheduled to run from June 2 to July 26.
According to multiple Starbucks officials, other planned launches, including a collaborative dessert menu and new beverages, have also all been postponed. Starbucks also decided not to operate the booth it had planned to run at the "Seoul Jazz Festival," to be held for three days from the 22nd at Olympic Park in Songpa District, Seoul.
Earlier, on the 18th, Starbucks held Tank Day, a discount event for tumbler products. Because the event fell on the May 18 Democratic Uprising anniversary and used the term "tank," critics said it evoked state violence under the new military regime. The phrase "tak on the desk" in a social media (SNS) promotional post also sparked controversy. It brought to mind the National Police Headquarters' 1987 announcement on the torture death of activist Park Jong-cheol, that "he died with a groan when we struck the desk." A Shinsegae Group-level audit is underway to uncover the truth and determine responsibility for this incident, and measures will be taken.