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

The chain was criticised for a "Tank Day" marketing ploy on the anniversary of a military massacre. South Korea's Starbucks to close for staff history lesson after promotion backlash Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Protests were held outside shops and the chain reportedly suffered a significant drop in sales Activists put red stickers stating "out!" on an image of Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin during a rally calling for a boycott of the Starbucks coffee chain in Seoul last month. South Korea's Starbucks to shut for staff history lesson after backlash Starbucks 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. 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. 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. Troops were also accused of indiscriminate beatings, torture and sexual assaults in the 1980 crackdown Armed South Korean troops round up protestors - who have their hands on their heads - following a raid in the city of Gwangju after the uprising in 1980. Along 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. 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. Marketers chose the slogan after using an AI tool to help with suggestions, Shinsegae Group said. Chun's rule ended in 1988. He was convicted of treason and corruption in 1996 but was later released from prison after a presidential pardon. He died in 2021 aged 90. In 2018, the government apologised for the rape of women by troops in Gwangju. The grandson of South Korea's last dictator has also apologised to relatives of those killed. The grandson of South Korea's last dictator has also Chun Woo-won called his grandfather a "sinner and slaughterer" and said he was "sincerely sorry for not apologising any sooner". The shopfront of a Starbucks branch in Seoul with people walking in front of it Starbucks Korea sacks CEO over controversial 'Tank Day' promotion Chun Woo-won (L), a grandson of the late former South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan, comforts a bereaved family member of a victim of the crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in 1980 in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, 31 March 2023, as he offers an apology in lieu of his grandfather. The 27-year-old has referred to his grandfather as 'a slaughterer' due to the military's brutal suppression of the Gwangju uprising after he seized power through a coup in 1979. S Korea dictator's grandson sorry for Gwangju killings Coffees at some city centre outlets now cost £5. It's a story of tariffs, the climate, Gen Z cultural tastes, and savvy coffee farmers playing the market, writes Faisal Islam Starbucks withdrew the campaign for its drink tumblers after many said it referenced a bloody crackdown. Chief executive Brian Niccol explains why he thinks AI will help the coffee giant regain its buzz. He was caught pulling the corners of his eyes at a South Korean influencer during the match in Mexico. Travel from Mexico to Korea in just 20 minutes as BBC Sport visits two diasporas in London watching the World Cup a very long way from home. Fifa says numerous empty seats were visible in the near-sell-out Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic because of fans remaining on concourses. Watch the ref cam footage of Hwang In-Beom's stunning equaliser for South Korea against Czech Republic