Mayor Kang: "All Starbucks Employees Should Receive May 18 History Education"

Chairman Chung Yongjin Urged to Make a Decisive Move over "5.18 Tank Day" Controversy

"All Stores Nationwide Should Close for May 18 Education at the National Cemetery"

Kang Gijung, Mayor of Gwangju, has proposed that Chung Yongjin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, and all employees of Starbucks Korea receive education on the history of the May 18 Democratic Uprising in response to the so-called "5·18 Tank Day" controversy involving Starbucks Korea. He argued that operations should be temporarily suspended and that the education should take place at the National May 18th Cemetery.

On May 29, through his Facebook page, Mayor Kang stated, "There was also a case in the United States where Starbucks suspended operations due to controversies such as racial discrimination," adding, "Chairman Chung Yongjin must make a responsible decision."

He said, "In 2018, Starbucks in the United States suspended operations at about 8,000 stores and provided training to all employees immediately after a racial discrimination controversy," and added, "The company set an ethical standard through historical education, even at the cost of significant sales losses, which received positive assessments."

He continued, "Despite Chairman Chung's public apology to the nation on May 26, public anger remains unresolved because there has been no mention of what the company did wrong or what measures will be taken to prevent recurrence." He emphasized, "Genuine reflection on the company's internal systems and concrete, effective measures to prevent recurrence must be presented for critical public opinion to subside."

Mayor Kang asserted, "In 2026, Starbucks in Korea is also being tested for its historical sensitivity and social responsibility." He insisted, "Losing public trust is the real crisis, so Chairman Chung should make a decisive move by preparing a thorough historical education curriculum and taking the bold action of closing all stores nationwide for education." He further added, "Shinsegae Group should institutionalize May 18 and democracy history education as regular training at the group level."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.