Starbucks' US headquarters has issued a formal apology to May 18 organizations over the so-called "Tank Day" marketing controversy, calling it "inappropriate marketing that should never have happened."
The May 18 Memorial Foundation said Sunday it had received the response from Starbucks' US headquarters.
In its reply to the foundation, Starbucks headquarters apologized for "the historical significance of the May 18 Democratization Movement and the pain of its victims," and said the demands raised by May 18 organizations had been reported to senior management.
Earlier, the three legally recognized May 18 organizations — the Association of Wounded, the Association of Contributors and the Bereaved Families Association — along with the foundation sent a letter of protest to Starbucks headquarters on June 1, calling for a corporate-level investigation, a formal apology and responsible follow-up measures.
The groups also wrote to the National Pension Service on May 29, asking it to consider exercising its shareholder rights over E-mart, the largest shareholder of Starbucks Korea, given that the National Pension Service is E-mart's second-largest shareholder.
In response, the National Pension Service said it would review the proposal.
The foundation also said that after it called on companies and advertising agencies to pull ads from Ilbe, a far-right online community where posts distorting the May 18 uprising have appeared, all such advertisements had been taken down.
sij@heraldcorp.com
