Starbucks Korea will temporarily close all stores nationwide at 3 p.m. on June 22 to conduct company-wide training focused on historical awareness and social sensitivity.

According to Shinsegae Group, all Starbucks Korea employees, including headquarters staff and store workers, will participate in the program through video-based educational sessions. It marks the first time since Starbucks Korea opened in 1999 that every store in the country will close early on the same day.

Ahead of the training, Shinsegae Group will hold educational sessions on June 17 for executives from E-Mart affiliates and Starbucks Korea headquarters employees at the group’s training center in Seoul.

Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin is also expected to participate in a separate training session with affiliate CEOs before the group’s executive meeting on June 24.

The history program will be led by Sungkyunkwan University historian Oh Je-yeon, who will examine key events in modern Korean history and discuss their significance.

A separate session on social awareness, led by sociology professor Koo Jung-woo, will focus on issues such as history, labor, gender and human rights, and how companies can better consider these topics in business activities and marketing.

Additional employees across E-Mart Group affiliates will complete the same training through an online learning program beginning July 1.

Shinsegae Group said the initiative is intended to strengthen historical understanding and reinforce its commitment to responsible corporate citizenship.

American