South Korea's Starbucks to shut for staff history lesson after backlash

Starbucks Korea announced on June 19, 2024, that it would close all 100 of its stores for a day to conduct mandatory history education for its approximately 10,000 employees. This decision follows significant backlash over a "Tank Day" promotional event held on June 18, the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, a pro-democracy movement brutally suppressed by the military in 1980. The promotion, which offered discounts on merchandise featuring a tank graphic, was widely perceived as insensitive and disrespectful to the victims of the massacre. Starbucks Korea issued an apology on June 19, acknowledging the insensitivity of the marketing campaign and stating that it was not aligned with the company's values. The company emphasized that the historical event was a tragic moment in Korean history and that the promotion was a grave error in judgment. The mandatory training aims to deepen employees' understanding of Korean history and prevent similar incidents in the future. The closure is scheduled for June 21, and the company stated that all employees would participate in the educational sessions.