Starbucks Korea closes stores for employee history training

Starbucks Korea will close all its stores early next week for mandatory employee training on historical awareness and social sensitivity, a first for the chain since it entered the South Korean market in 1999. The move, announced by operator Shinsegae Group on Monday, June 15, 2026, is a direct response to a severe public backlash over a marketing campaign last month that evoked a painful chapter in the nation's democratic history.

The controversy stemmed from a promotion for reusable coffee tumblers that used the terms "Tank Day" and "518," references that many South Koreans found deeply offensive as they are associated with the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of May 18, 1980. During that pivotal event, military forces deployed by the then-ruling junta violently suppressed pro-democracy protests. The official death toll is over 200, though activists and historians estimate it was significantly higher.

In the wake of the campaign, Starbucks Korea faced widespread criticism and a significant drop in sales. Shinsegae Group fired Starbucks Korea CEO Son Junghyun shortly after the scandal broke, with the global headquarters stating the campaign was unintentional but should never have...