Starbucks stores across South Korea will close for half a day next week for staff to attend a history lesson following a promotional campaign gone awry, the coffee giant said on Monday.Starbucks Korea, with more than 2,000 stores nationwide, found itself embroiled in public uproar last month when it ran a “Tank Day” promotion evoking a deadly military crackdown on a 1980 pro-democracy uprising.The day of the reusable cup promotion – May 18 – coincided with the 46th anniversary of the Gwangju uprising in which 165 civilians were killed, according to the official toll, though many believe the real figure to be much higher.South Korea is the company’s third largest market after the United States and China.Activists put stickers on the image of Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin during a rally calling for a boycott of the Starbucks coffee chain in Seoul on May 27. Photo: AFPShinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks under a licensing agreement, fired its South Korea chief executive the very day news of the scandal broke, and apologised.
Starbucks’ South Korean staff to receive history lesson after ‘Tank Day’ blunder
The coffee giant will close all stores for half a day so employees can ‘receive education in historical awareness and social sensitivity’.
TL;DRAI
Starbucks Korea ran "Tank Day" promo on May 18, coinciding with the 46th anniversary of Gwangju's 1980 military crackdown (165 deaths), triggering boycotts. The Korea CEO was fired. The incident signals market-specific governance gaps in global ops: rapid expansion into sensitive markets without local cultural due diligence exposes reputational capital.
170 words~1 min read
