Seoul: Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul stated on Friday that Starbucks Korea should face sanctions for its controversial marketing campaign linked to the May 18 Gwangju democratization movement. The minister emphasized that the campaign was a company-level marketing strategy rather than the result of an "individual deviation."

According to Yonhap News Agency, Starbucks Korea has been under intense public scrutiny following its "Tank Day" promotion, which many interpreted as referencing the 1980 military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement. Kwon asserted that such corporate marketing should be publicly criticized and sanctioned.

The ministry is also reconsidering its agreement with Starbucks Korea to offer scholarships to descendants of independence fighters, as public sentiment could influence the decision. The scholarships, totaling 100 million won annually, are planned from 2024 to 2026 but have not been distributed this year.

Starbucks Korea, operated by E-Mart under Shinsegae, faced a 26 percent drop in sales within a week of the promotion. Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin issued a public apology, seeking forgiveness for the incident.

Separately, the veterans minister announced efforts to locate the remains of independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun, believed to be buried in China. Kwon mentioned tracking records of three Japanese individuals executed the same day as Ahn and seeking assistance from the South Korean ambassador to Japan.

Ahn, executed in 1910 for assassinating Japanese resident-general Ito Hirobumi, requested in his will that his remains be returned to Korea post-independence. President Lee Jae Myung has sought cooperation from Chinese President Xi Jinping in locating Ahn's burial site during a state visit in January.