The Ministry of Veterans Affairs has decided to continue its scholarship program for the descendants of independence activists in collaboration with Starbucks, despite reviewing the program's status following the 'Tank Day' marketing controversy in May.
According to Yonhap News on the 23rd, the ministry has confirmed plans to proceed with the scholarship initiative in the second half of this year. Although the recent marketing controversy involving Starbucks caused some delays, the decision to continue was made in light of the benefits the scholarships provide to the descendants of independence activists.
As part of this initiative, the ministry and Starbucks will select 50 descendants facing financial difficulties to receive a total of 100 million won in scholarships this year.
The Ministry of Veterans Affairs and Starbucks Korea signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2021 to support the scholarship program, which has provided 100 million won annually to 50 descendants each year.
Starbucks has been sponsoring scholarships for descendants of independence activists since 2015. In 2021, it formalized its commitment by signing an MOU with the ministry, continuing to support 50 descendants annually with a total of 100 million won. Over the past 11 years, 483 descendants have benefited from the scholarships, amounting to a cumulative support of 1 billion won.
However, the controversy arose in May when Starbucks used phrases like 'Tank Day' and 'Bang on the Desk!' in its marketing, which were criticized for mocking the May 18 Democratic Movement and the torture and death of activist Park Jong-cheol. Following this, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs reviewed whether to suspend the scholarship program with Starbucks.
A Starbucks representative stated, "We will work closely with relevant organizations to ensure that the scholarship program for veterans continues and expands."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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