▲ Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin delivers an apology regarding the Starbucks "Tank Day" controversy at the Josun Palace Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on May 26.
Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin, the company's management, and all employees of Starbucks Korea are set to undergo training aimed at enhancing historical awareness and fostering social sensitivity.
Shinsegae Group announced today (June 15) that it will conduct historical awareness and social sensitivity training for executives of E-mart division affiliates and headquarters staff of Starbucks Korea.
Chairman Chung will participate in the training alongside the CEOs of the group's affiliates ahead of a scheduled meeting of company presidents on June 24.
This follows Chairman Chung's apology on May 26 regarding the controversy surrounding Starbucks' "Tank Day" event, where he stated, "I sincerely bow my head in apology and ask for your forgiveness."
The group plans to reaffirm its commitment to taking responsibility to ensure that incidents similar to the Starbucks marketing controversy do not recur.
Executives of E-mart division affiliates and Starbucks Korea headquarters staff will receive the training on June 17 at Shinsegae Namsan, the company's internal training center.
The session will be attended by both Starbucks headquarters staff and executives from E-mart division affiliates.
Partners (employees) working at Starbucks Korea stores will undergo the training on June 22.
On that day, all stores nationwide will close early at 3:00 PM, and each location will watch video materials of the lecture held on June 17 to receive the training on historical awareness and social sensitivity.
The session will also serve as an opportunity to reflect on the Starbucks brand value of "cherishing every customer, every cup, and our neighbors."
This marks the first time since its opening in 1999 that all Starbucks Korea stores will close early simultaneously.
Employees of other E-mart division affiliates will take the same course through online training over two weeks starting July 1.
The historical awareness training will be led by Oh Je-yeon, a professor of history at Sungkyunkwan University.
Professor Oh, a scholar specializing in modern Korean history, will review major events in modern and contemporary history since the 1950s and lecture on how to properly perceive them.
The social sensitivity training will be conducted by Koo Jeong-woo, a professor of sociology at Sungkyunkwan University.
He will provide guidance on how companies should consider and be mindful of social issues—such as history, labor, gender, and human rights—when engaging in marketing and other corporate activities.
Regarding the early closure of Starbucks stores on June 22, Shinsegae Group stated, "This demonstrates our determination to take this marketing incident seriously and ensure that it does not happen again."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.