South Korean police raid local Starbucks headquarters

South Korean police raided the headquarters of Starbucks’ local operation as part of an investigation into a controversial marketing campaign that was perceived as defaming the 1980s’ pro-democracy movements.

Investigators searched the Starbucks headquarters in southern Seoul, police said.

Police gave no further details, but South Korean media reported investigators were also sent to the residences of Starbucks executives. The coffee chain triggered a public uproar when it attempted to promote a series of stainless-steel tumblers it called "SS Tank" by declaring May 18 to be "Tank Day." The date marks the anniversary of a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in the southern city of Gwangju that was brutally suppressed by South Korea’s then-military-backed rulers.

The campaign also used the slogan "Thwack it on the table!" which many read as a reference to a notorious 1987 police statement that attempted to cover up the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol.