The “18th Seoul Jazz Festival 2026” (hereinafter “Seoul Jazz Fest”) abruptly announced the cancellation of its Starbucks booth operationjust two days before the event. It appears that the fallout from the recent marketing controversy surrounding Starbucks has spread to the cultural festival scene.
The organizers of Seojaefe announced via their official Instagram Story, “We have decided not to operate a Starbucks booth at this year’s festival.” Although no specific reason for the cancellation was given, industry insiders believe it is due to the burden resulting from the recent controversy over Starbucks’ marketing, which was criticized for a lack of historical awareness.
Earlier, on the 18th, Starbucks faced fierce criticism for using phrases such as “Tank Day” and “Thump on the Desk” in a promotional campaign for tumblers. This was because many pointed out that these phrases evoked memories of the deployment of martial law troops’ tanks during the May 18 Democratization Movement and the 1987 torture and death of martyr Park Jong-cheol.
As public sentiment worsened, Shinsegae Group and Starbucks immediately took steps to address the situation. The CEO of Starbucks Korea was abruptly dismissed, and Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin also issued an official apology. As the controversy spread, Starbucks headquarters in the U.S. also expressed regret and apologized.
