South Korea's Starbucks to shut for staff history lesson after backlash

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. South Korea's Starbucks to shut for staff history lesson after backlash7 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleGeorge WrightAFP via Getty ImagesProtests were held outside shops and the chain reportedly suffered a significant drop in salesStarbucks in South Korea will shut all its shops for half a day next week so staff can attend a history lesson following public outrage over a promotional campaign that evoked a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. The coffee chain faced widespread criticism after it launched a "Tank Day" reusable cup promotion on the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, in which at least 165 civilians were killed by the military. Many believe the real figure to be much higher.

Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks under a licensing agreement in South Korea, fired the country's chief executive on the day of the scandal. Chairman Chung Yong-jin will also take the training, the company announced. Outlets will close across the country at 15:00 local time (06:00 GMT) for three hours next Wednesday to accomodate for the staff training and will not reopen until the following day.

The Details

On Monday, all employees at Starbucks Korea stores will "receive education in historical awareness and social sensitivity through watching videos", it added. It will be the first nationwide early closure of Starbucks Korea since the chain opened in the country in 1999. The "Tank Day" promotion was for the chain's Tank Series drink tumblers, touted as having "spacious volume" for a large amount of coffee.

Starbucks Korea initially clarified that the Tank Series was one of several series of tumblers it was rolling out in a campaign running from 15 to 26 May. The company apologised "for causing inconvenience and concern to our customers due to this". South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung expressed outrage over "this inhumane and disgraceful conduct" on social media during the backlash last month.

Protests were held outside shops and the chain reportedly suffered a significant drop in sales following calls to boycott. Getty ImagesTroops were also accused of indiscriminate beatings, torture and sexual assaults in the 1980 crackdownAlong with widespread killings, further investigations into the 1980 Gwangju Uprising massacre later confirmed that troops deployed by the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan committed rape and sexual assault. The uprising set South Korea on its path toward democracy.

What Experts Say

It became a rallying cry for activists over the following seven years, culminating in a movement in June 1987 that toppled Chun's regime. Some in South Korea claim the Starbucks campaign also referenced the 1987 movement. Promotional material for the tumbler used the phrase "tak on the table!

" in Korean, using a word that sounds like an object being slapped on a table. "Tak" was also the word used in a controversial statement given by police in 1987 about the death of a student activist in custody.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.