Starbucks Korea to Hold Mandatory History Training After Backlash
WHO:
AP News - Starbucks Korea, Shinsegae Group, Chung Yong-jin (Chairman of Shinsegae), Park Jong-chol (student activist), history and sociology professors.
WHAT:
Fast Company - Starbucks Korea will implement a "social sensitivity checklist" and a tighter approval chain for internal decision-making processes to prevent future marketing missteps.
Fast Company - Starbucks Korea reported a more than 10% decline in payments from April, amounting to roughly $6.5 billion, following the backlash from the "Tank Day" promotion.
Fast Company - An apology message from Chairman Chung Yong-jin is now displayed on the Starbucks Korea website, stating, "We deeply feel a heavy sense of responsibility regarding this incident and the gravity of the matter, and we will take all possible measures to prevent such an incident from recurring."
AP News - Starbucks Korea will close all of its stores nationwide early on June 22 for mandatory history and social sensitivity training.
AP News - The marketing campaign promoted stainless-steel tumblers called “SS Tank” and declared May 18 to be “Tank Day.”
AP News - The campaign was perceived as mocking victims of the Gwangju Uprising, which resulted in at least 165 civilian deaths, with activists claiming the true number was much higher.
AP News - The promotion was canceled within hours, and the chief executive of Starbucks Korea was fired.
WHERE:
AP News - South Korea, specifically the city of Gwangju.
WHEN:
AP News - All Starbucks stores will close at 3 p.m. on June 22 for the training session.
AP News - Chung Yong-jin will undergo separate training with the chief executives of Shinsegae affiliates on June 24.
WHY:
AP News - The backlash was triggered by the marketing campaign that was seen as insensitive to the historical context of the Gwangju Uprising and the associated military crackdown.
HOW:
AP News - The training will be led by history and sociology professors, and employees will watch a recording of the session.
(UPDATED June 15, 2026 20:09 UTC)
Starbucks Korea is taking significant steps to prevent future marketing missteps by implementing a "social sensitivity checklist" and tightening its internal decision-making processes. This comes after the company reported a decline of more than 10% in payments from April, totaling around $6.5 billion, following backlash from the controversial "Tank Day" promotion. In response, Chairman Chung Yong-jin has issued an apology, which is now prominently displayed on the Starbucks Korea website, expressing a deep sense of responsibility and a commitment to preventing similar incidents in the future.
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(UPDATED June 15, 2026 15:01 UTC)
Starbucks Korea has announced it will close all of its stores nationwide at 3 p.m. on June 22 for mandatory history and social sensitivity training, following backlash over a marketing campaign that was perceived as mocking the victims of the Gwangju Uprising. The campaign, which promoted stainless-steel tumblers and designated May 18 as "Tank Day," was quickly canceled, leading to the firing of the chief executive of Starbucks Korea. The training will be conducted by history and sociology professors, and employees will participate by watching a recording of the session.