Starbucks Korea Shuts Down All Stores for History Training After 'Tank Day' Backlash

Starbucks Korea will close all stores nationwide on June 22 for mandatory employee training following backlash over a "Tank Day" marketing campaign that coincided with the May 18, 1980 Gwangju Uprising anniversary. The 1980 military crackdown killed hundreds of pro-democracy protesters and remains a live political issue in South Korea, not settled history. The company experienced a "very significant" sales drop after the campaign triggered a boycott, prompting apologies from both Starbucks Korea's head and Shinsegae's chairman.