Starbucks Korea Closes All Stores for Training After 'Tank Day' Backlash

Starbucks Korea will shutter its entire network on June 22 for mandatory employee training following a marketing misstep. A "Tank Day" campaign coincided with the May 18, 1980 Gwangju Uprising anniversary—a military crackdown that killed hundreds of pro-democracy protesters. The incident remains contested terrain in South Korean politics. The backlash triggered significant sales losses and apologies from both Starbucks Korea's leadership and Shinsegae's chairman.