Sources confirm that Starbucks stores across South Korea will close for a mandatory history lesson, following a public backlash over what critics called a whitewashing of colonial history. The move comes after the coffee giant faced accusations of ignoring Japan’s brutal occupation of the Korean peninsula, a period marked by forced labour and cultural suppression.
Uncovered documents show that Starbucks South Korea, a joint venture with local conglomerate Shinsegae, had been using imagery and product names that critics argued glorified Japan’s colonial rule. The company initially dismissed the complaints, but a coordinated campaign on social media forced a rapid reversal.
Employees will now undergo a two-hour session on Korean history, focusing on the 1910-1945 occupation. A leaked internal memo says the lesson aims to 'foster a deeper understanding of our host nation's heritage'. But industry insiders say the move is pure damage control.
At the same time, Starbucks' British operations have been held up as a model of corporate ethics. The company’s UK arm has a strong record on worker rights and supply chain transparency. 'They pay tax, they treat staff decently, and they don’t rewrite history,' a London-based retail analyst told me.
The contrast is stark. In South Korea, the chain has been accused of cultural insensitivity. In Britain, it’s praised for its ethical stance. But let’s not get carried away. Any corporation that has to close stores for a history lesson has clearly lost its way.
The lesson: When money talks, history gets silenced. But sometimes, the noise of protest is louder.
