A sign announces that a Starbucks coffee shop in Seoul is closing early for the day so staff can attend historical and social awareness training following the “Tank Day” marketing fiasco.
| AFP-JIJI
Jun 29, 2026
If Starbucks Korea believes that a compulsory history lesson would draw a line under a marketing fiasco that has dented both reputation and business, it should think again.
Last month’s debacle, broadly perceived as mocking the victims of a brutal military crackdown, was not caused by front-of-house staff. Subjecting thousands of baristas and other service workers to mandatory training, rather than just the managers in charge, comes off as more performative than sincere.
This risks upsetting customers who believe the latest response is not credible, potentially setting up the coffee seller for an extended period of revenue decline in its third-biggest market after the U.S. and China. The experience isn’t unique to South Korea. Sales of Bud Light beer never fully recovered following a 2023 campaign with influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who is transgender.
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