Starbucks Korea will temporarily close all 2,000+ stores for a half-day next week to provide mandatory history lessons to its employees. The closure follows a public outcry and widespread criticism of a recent marketing campaign. The campaign unintentionally evoked memories of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, a pro-democracy protest that resulted in numerous civilian deaths. The campaign imagery was perceived as insensitive and disrespectful to the victims of the massacre. Starbucks Korea has issued an apology for the campaign and is implementing the retraining to improve employee understanding of Korean history and cultural sensitivities. The move aims to address the damage to the company’s reputation and prevent similar incidents in the future. The company hopes the retraining will foster greater awareness among staff.