Overview
- Starbucks Korea ran a reusable-cup "Tank Day" promotion on May 18 that was suspended within hours after customers and civic groups protested because the wording evoked the 1980 Gwangju uprising.
- Shinsegae fired the Starbucks Korea chief executive the same day, issued public apologies, and faced street protests and early drops in sales in the days that followed.
- On June 15 the company announced mandatory historical-awareness and social-sensitivity training for executives, headquarters staff and store partners, with most outlets closing at 3 p.m. next Monday for three hours of lessons.
- Internal reviews found procedural failures including approvers signing off without opening design files, no legal review before launch, and use of an apparently problematic slogan process, prompting plans for longer review windows and a formal campaign checklist.
- The case highlights how South Korea’s painful modern history can affect brands: the closure is the first nationwide early shutdown of Starbucks Korea since 1999 and the company faces ongoing police and administrative probes and reputational and financial risk.