South Korea’s Starbucks shut for staff history lesson after ‘Tank Day’ promotion backlash

Starbucks closed its stores in South Korea on Monday afternoon, as its staff attended a history lesson after a marketing fiasco. The coffee giant faced widespread criticism after running a “Tank Day” reusable cup promotion on the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, in which the military deployed armoured units—including tanks—to violently suppress pro-democracy civilian protesters, killing at least 165 civilians. Many believe the real death toll to be much higher.