Starbucks Korea CEO dismissed over ad evoking massacre of pro-democracy protesters

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/18/ceo-starbucks-in-south-korea-fired-over-controversial-ad-campaign

55 points · 4 comments · view on lemmy.world

4 Comments

Spacehooks@reddthat.com · 9 pts · 87d

The Gwangju-Jeonnam Memorial Coalition called the marketing “clearly malicious mockery”, adding: “We strongly suspect this is the result of management’s biased historical consciousness … being cunningly expressed through the mask of marketing.”

Nothing cunning about it. Completely out of touch.

brackled@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 87d

In a nation with countless local chains and small coffee shops I'm still amazed that Starbucks survives there. Erican marketing really did do a number... I guess it also helps that the Chung who fired the CEO seems to be a MAGA aficionado

Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 7 pts · 87d

A Taxi Driver is about the events and the struggles the journalist had to get the only known footage of the massecre. 10/10 film. Until the mid 90s, koreans could still get the death penalty for questioning the government narrative. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Taxi_Driver

alapakala@quokk.au · 2 pts · 87d