May 26, 2026 / 5:50 AM EDT
/ CBS/AP
Add CBS News on Google
Seoul, South Korea — South Korean retail tycoon Chung Yong-jin on Tuesday issued his second apology in two weeks as Starbucks' local operation faced a backlash over a recent marketing campaign that was widely perceived as mocking victims of a bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980.Chung, chairman of Shinsegae Group, which owns a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, bowed three times during a televised statement as he pleaded for forgiveness from the families of democracy activists killed by the country's former military dictatorship and from the broader public.
Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin bows his head during a press conference at the Josun Palace Luxury Collection Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, on May 26, 2026 as he issued a formal public apology regarding a ''Tank Day'' marketing promotion by Starbucks Korea Gwangju Democratization Movement.
