Starbucks South Korea will temporarily close all of its stores this week to provide employees with a lesson in national history, following a backlash over the company’s depiction of a Korean independence activist. The move comes after the coffee chain faced criticism for a promotional video that featured a figure resembling Yu Gwan-sun, a prominent leader in the 1919 March 1st Movement against Japanese colonial rule. The video, released to mark the March 1st holiday, showed an animated character celebrating Korea’s liberation but omitted key context about the struggle, prompting accusations of historical distortion.
In response, Starbucks announced that all 1,600 outlets would be closed for one hour on Thursday to allow staff to watch a documentary about Yu and learn about the country’s colonial history. The company said the training was intended to “foster a correct understanding of history” and prevent future errors. The incident underscores the sensitivity of historical narratives in South Korea, where memories of Japanese occupation remain raw.
Nationalist sentiment has flared in recent years, with public figures and corporations frequently scrutinised for their handling of colonial-era symbols. For Starbucks, the decision to close stores reflects the seriousness of the backlash, which included calls for a boycott. The company has also apologised and removed the video.
The episode highlights the risks multinational corporations face when engaging with politically charged commemorations. In a market where cultural pride is increasingly vocal, a misstep can quickly escalate into a reputational crisis.
