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Starbucks Korea to Shut 2,000 Stores for History Lessons After ‘Tank Day’ Backlash. Starbucks Korea will close all of its more than 2,000 stores early on June 22 to conduct mandatory training on Korean history following a marketing controversy that sparked public outrage. The unprecedented move comes after the company promoted its “SS Tank” tumbler line on May 18, the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, a pro-democracy movement that was violently suppressed. The campaign referred to the date as “Tank Day,” a phrase many South Koreans viewed as deeply insensitive because military tanks were used during the crackdown. Critics were further angered by the slogan “Thwack it on the table,” which appeared to echo a notorious phrase associated with the 1987 torture death of student activist Park Jong-chul. The backlash prompted boycotts, protests, a sharp decline in sales, and calls for accountability from victims’ families and civic groups. Starbucks Korea withdrew the promotion within hours, dismissed its chief executive, and issued multiple public apologies through parent company Shinsegae Group. The mandatory training will be extended to executives, including Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin, and will cover modern Korean history as well as corporate responsibility towards social issues. The company says it will also overhaul its marketing approval process by introducing new safeguards designed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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