Starbucks Korea CEO Fired, All Stores to Close for Sensitivity Training After Gwangju Campaign Backlash

One of the world's largest coffee chains, Starbucks, made a major mistake in its marketing strategy in South Korea. The company, which used the phrase 'Tank Day,' is now trying to compensate for the loss of reputation it suffered. According to a report by The Guardian, the advertising campaign, which trivialized one of the bloodiest democracy massacres in the country's recent history, caused a huge backlash in the country. The incident that triggered the major crisis occurred when Starbucks Korea launched a discount campaign on May 18 for its new 'Tank' series of thermoses and cups. The date chosen for the campaign, May 18, coincided with the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Massacre, in which hundreds of civilians were killed during protests against military dictator Chun Doo-hwan. Following the development, the campaign was hastily removed within a few hours, and Starbucks Korea's CEO was fired on the same day. After the reputation crisis, Starbucks took a radical step and announced that it would close more than 2,000 stores across the country simultaneously. According to reports shared by data analysis firm IGAWorks, the staff at stores that will close at 3:00 PM on June 22 will be subjected to modern Korean history lessons and 'social sensitivity' training. The cost of the half-day closure to the company is estimated to be approximately 2.1 billion won ($1.4 million).