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: AFP
Shinsegae Group , which operates Starbucks under a licensing agreement, fired its South Korea chief executive the very day news of the scandal broke, and apologised.
Read the full article at South China Morning Post →📄Source document: Starbucks Korea statement
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South China Morning PostParty-alignedCenter6 days agoStarbucks Korea announced that it will close stores for half a day next week so employees can attend a history lesson following controversy over a 'Tank Day' promotion linked to the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. The promotion occurred on May 18, the anniversary of the uprising, which resulted in civilian deaths. Activists protested against Starbucks, and Shinsegae Group, which licenses Starbucks in South Korea, fired its CEO and issued an apology.
Bias read (Center): The article presents facts without overtly favoring any side. It describes the incident, the response by Starbucks and Shinsegae Group, and mentions activist reactions without using emotionally charged language or selectively omitting perspectives. The framing remains neutral, focusing on events and
Official sources cited
- organisation Starbucks Korea statement
- organisation Shinsegae Group statement
HK