Key facts
- Starbucks Korea will close all 2,160 stores nationwide at 3 p.m. on Monday, June 22.
- The early closure is for a mandatory training program focused on historical awareness and social sensitivity.
- The training was prompted by backlash over a "Tank Day" promotion launched on May 18.
- The promotion's name and phrasing evoked memories of the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising and the death of student activist Park Jong-cheol.
- Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin and other senior executives will participate in the training.
- This is the first time Starbucks Korea has closed all stores nationwide early since its 1999 opening.
Starbucks Korea is set to close all of its 2,160 stores nationwide early on Monday, June 22, to conduct a mandatory training program for employees. The initiative aims to enhance historical awareness and social sensitivity following a public outcry over a recent promotional campaign.
The controversial "Tank Day" promotion, launched on May 18, the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising, was suspended within hours due to severe criticism. The campaign's use of the word "tank" evoked memories of the military's violent suppression of demonstrators during the uprising, while the accompanying phrase "Put it on the table with a sound of 'Tak!'" drew parallels to the death of student activist Park Jong-cheol under police torture in 1987, a symbol of South Korea's democratization movement.
Company officials stated the training program will include a brand value workshop designed to deepen employees' understanding of historical context, social sensitivity, and Starbucks' core mission. Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin and other senior executives are also scheduled to participate in the same training on Wednesday. This marks the first time Starbucks Korea has implemented a nationwide early closure for such a training since its establishment in 1999.