Starbucks South Korea will temporarily close all of its outlets nationwide next week to allow employees to attend a mandatory history lesson following widespread outrage over a promotional campaign that many linked to one of the country’s darkest chapters.
The controversy erupted after Starbucks Korea launched a reusable tumbler promotion called “Tank Day” on the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, a pro-democracy movement that was brutally suppressed by the military. Official figures recorded at least 165 civilian deaths, although many believe the actual number was significantly higher.
Public anger escalated rapidly, forcing parent company Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks under licence in South Korea, to take immediate action. The company dismissed Starbucks Korea’s chief executive on the same day the controversy broke.
In an unprecedented move, all Starbucks outlets across South Korea will close at 3pm next Wednesday and remain shut for the rest of the day. Employees will participate in special training focused on historical awareness and social sensitivity before stores resume operations the following day.
The company also announced that its chairman, Chung Yong-jin, will personally attend the programme alongside staff members.
Before the nationwide closure, employees will undergo additional education sessions on Monday through video-based training designed to strengthen understanding of sensitive historical events and their impact on society.
The closure marks the first time Starbucks Korea has suspended operations nationwide since opening its first store in the country in 1999.
The controversial campaign centred on the company’s “Tank Series” tumblers, marketed as containers with extra-large capacity. Starbucks initially defended the promotion, stating that the Tank Series was merely one of several product lines being introduced between May 15 and May 26.
However, critics argued that launching a promotion featuring the word “Tank” on the anniversary of the Gwangju massacre was deeply insensitive, given the military’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators during the uprising.
The backlash intensified when promotional materials featured the Korean phrase “Tak On The Table!” Critics claimed the slogan carried additional historical implications because “tak” was associated with a notorious police statement made following the death of a student activist in custody during South Korea’s democracy movement in 1987.
Shinsegae later revealed that the slogan had been generated with assistance from an artificial intelligence tool during the marketing process.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung condemned the campaign, describing it as “inhumane and disgraceful”. Demonstrators gathered outside Starbucks stores, while calls for a nationwide boycott reportedly led to a noticeable decline in sales.
The Gwangju Uprising remains one of the most significant events in modern South Korean history. Investigations later uncovered allegations of indiscriminate violence, torture, rape and sexual assault committed by troops deployed under the military regime of former President Chun Doo-hwan.
The uprising ultimately became a symbol of resistance and helped pave the way for South Korea’s transition to democracy, culminating in mass protests that ended Chun’s authoritarian rule in 1987.
In recent years, the South Korean government has formally apologised to victims of military abuses during the crackdown. Even Chun’s grandson, Chun Woo-won, publicly apologised to victims’ families, describing his grandfather as a “sinner and slaughterer”.
