You guys — I re-read my earlier post and realized it did not do justice to what happened here, so let me write this one properly. Starbucks got hit with massive backlash for running a "Tank Day" promotion on the 50th anniversary of Seoul Station massacre by Japanese forces during World War II. The company originally planned an in-store campaign that included commemorative merchandise and special cafe events honoring Tank Park's history, but after people called out the insensitivity of marketing on a site where thousands died, they pulled it. Instead, Starbucks is now closing all Korean cafes for one day to host mandatory staff training focused on Korea's modern history — which honestly feels like an attempt at meaningful education rather than just damage control. I can understand why the backlash happened; selling merch in a war memorial space is wild even if you mean well and the idea of educating employees instead of cancelling shows appreciation for what people were fighting against. Still, I am not entirely certain that one day of training will undo how this played out — corporate response cycles are slow to turn genuine education into policy change - but it beats them doubling down on a bad marketing decision.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4n3pyjg9o?at_medium=rss&at_campaign=rss