[International] First Time Since 1999, All Starbucks Stores in South Korea to Close for Half a Day on June 22 for Historical Training
bella@@ 央廣 新聞1d ago
According to AFP, the coffee giant Starbucks announced today (15th) that following a controversy sparked by a promotional event, Starbucks stores across South Korea will close for half a day next week to allow employees to participate in historical training.
Starbucks Korea, with over 2,000 stores nationwide, faced widespread criticism last month for a "Tank Day" promotion that evoked memories of the deadly military crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in 1980.
Starbucks Korea promoted reusable "Tank tumblers" on May 18th, coinciding with the 46th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, which officially claimed 165 civilian lives, though many believe the actual death toll was higher.
South Korea is Starbucks' third-largest market, after the United States and China.
Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks Korea, dismissed the head of Starbucks Korea, Son Jung-hyun, and apologized on the day the scandal broke.
Starbucks stated today that all employees at Starbucks Korea stores "will receive education on historical significance and social sensitivity by watching videos."
Starbucks Korea's nationwide stores will close for 3 hours on the 22nd from 3 PM (2 PM Taiwan time) for employee training and will not reopen that day. This will be the first time such a synchronized temporary closure has occurred since Starbucks opened its first store in South Korea in 1999.
A representative from Shinsegae Group told AFP that the only exceptions will be a few stores at airports.
Shinsegae Group stated that they have identified a series of oversights prior to this promotion, including supervisors approving the design without review and without legal scrutiny.
According to Shinsegae Group, the controversial incident, which sparked protests in Seoul and Gwangju, led to a "sharp drop in sales" in the early stages of the scandal.
Amid strong public backlash, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung posted on X expressing anger over "such inhumane and shameful actions." (Editor: Hsu Chia-yuan)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=214563
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