Starbucks to close all stores in South Korea early for mandatory history training

Starbucks Korea will shut all stores in the country at 3 p.m. on June 22 for staff training on historical awareness, following public backlash over a marketing campaign.

SEOUL, South Korea — Starbucks Korea will shut all stores in the country at 3 p.m. on June 22 for staff training on historical awareness and social sensitivity, the operator Shinsegae Group said on Monday, following public backlash over a marketing campaign.

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The coffee chain faced widespread criticism and suffered a “very significant” drop in sales after last month’s campaign that evoked a brutal 1980 military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

Shinsegae’s affiliate E-Mart owns Starbucks Korea, which launched its ‘Tank Day’ tumbler promotion on the anniversary of ​the May 18 Gwangju Uprising, when the military government deployed troops and tanks to suppress pro-democracy demonstrations.