Starbucks to Close All Stores Nationwide at 3 p.m. Tomorrow... Chairman Chung Yongjin to Undergo History Training Again

First Nationwide Early Store Closures Since 1999 Launch
Executives Trained on June 17, Partners on June 22, and Leadership on June 24

Starbucks Korea will close its stores nationwide early on the 22nd to conduct historical education. A related notice is posted at a Starbucks store in downtown Seoul. June 17, 2026, Yonhap News Agency.

All current and former employees of Starbucks Korea, which previously faced criticism for its "Tank Day" marketing campaign, will undergo education on historical awareness.

According to industry sources on June 21, Starbucks Korea held a special lecture at its headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on June 17. Professor Oh Jeyeon from the Department of History at Sungkyunkwan University and Professor Koo Jungwoo from the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University each served as lecturers, delivering sessions for employees and executives on "The Proper Historical Awareness Required of Companies" and "Social Sensitivity and Ethical Standards."

In addition, partners working at stores will receive training on historical awareness and social sensitivity on June 22 by closing all stores nationwide early at 3:00 p.m. and watching video recordings of the June 17 lectures at each location. This is the first time since Starbucks Korea entered the domestic market in 1999 that all stores across the country will close early at the same time.

Chairman Chung Yongjin is also scheduled to complete training on historical awareness and social sensitivity, along with affiliate company CEOs, ahead of the executive meeting on June 24.

Starbucks Korea became embroiled in controversy when its marketing event held prior to the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement commemoration used phrases such as "Tank Day" and "A Bang on the Desk!" which were criticized for disparaging the 5·18 Democratization Movement.

As the controversy continued, Starbucks Korea deleted the related posts, dismissed the CEO and relevant executives, and issued an official apology. Chairman Chung Yongjin subsequently made a public apology, promising follow-up measures such as mandatory history education for employees and a temporary full refund of prepaid balances.

Starbucks Korea plans to use this training as an opportunity to enhance employees' historical awareness and social sensitivity, while also completely overhauling its marketing decision-making system. The company intends to strengthen internal review procedures and improve its capacity for brand risk management and corporate social responsibility.

Industry experts believe that regaining consumer trust will depend not just on one-time training, but on whether real changes are implemented in decision-making processes. As cases of controversy arising from companies using social issues and historical events for marketing have become more frequent, consumer evaluations are expected to vary depending on how substantially advance review systems and internal ethical standards are reinforced.

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