Starbucks will close down its South Korean locations on June 22 for 'history training' on the brutal response to the 1980 pro-democracy uprising
Credit: Kichul Shin/NurPhoto/Getty (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Starbucks South Korea will close all locations and hold a mandatory history training on June 22
- The store closures and training sessions come after protests surrounding a series of stainless-steel tumblers called “SS Tank,” and designated May 18 “Tank Day”
- Customers protested the new line of tumblers because May 18 also marks the anniversary of a violent military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980 in Gwangju, South Korea
Starbucks South Korea will close all locations and hold a mandatory history training on June 22 following backlash to a media campaign.
The protests against the Starbucks campaign came after the coffee giant promoted a series of stainless-steel tumblers called “SS Tank," and designated May 18 "Tank Day," despite the day marking the anniversary of a violent military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980, the Associated Press reports.
In 1980, there was a brutal massacre in Gwangju, South Korea, The Guardian reports. The new line of tumblers led to organized protests and boycotts due to the inferred reference to this historical moment, as well as "government ministries" choosing to sever relations with the company, according to the outlet.
In response to the public outcry, the coffee chain will close its Korean locations at 3 p.m. local time for a history and "social sensitivity" training session. Chung Yong-jin, the billionaire chair of Shinsegae Group who leads the company's Korean locations under a license from the U.S.-based parent company, will also be required to take part, according to The Guardian.
Yong-jin's training will be held separately on June 24, the AP reports.
The tumblers, which were accompanied by a slogan encouraging customers to "thwack it on the table," were interpreted by some protesters as a reference to a 1987 police statement that allegedly worked to hide the torture of student activist Park Jong-chol. At the time, police falsely claimed Park died after investigators “hit the desk with a thwack," according to the AP.
Jong-chol's death at 21 served as a major catalyst for the June Uprising of 1987, which led to the democratization of South Korea, according to the Library of Congress.
Shinsegae Group said in a statement that the term "thwack" was chosen by an AI tool used by the marketing team, The Guardian reports.
Starbucks said in a statement it was “deeply sorry for an unacceptable marketing incident” and that it “should never have happened," according to The Guardian. Yong-jin also issued an apology via a televised press conference and in written form.
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PEOPLE has reached out to a spokesperson for Starbucks and Shinsegae Group for comment.
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