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| Starbucks Coffee Korea CEO Lee Seock-koo and employees hand out coffee and rice cakes to passersby at the company's "community store" in Daehangno, northern Seoul, on Oct. 7. The event was part of celebrations to mark the first anniversary of the community store, which donates a portion of its takings to finance scholarships and other support programs for young people. / Courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Korea |
By Lee Hyo-sik
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| Mark Ring, senior vice president of Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific |
In an interview with The Korea Times, Mark Ring, senior vice president and general manager of Starbucks Coffee China and Asia-Pacific, said Starbucks will continue to fulfill its corporate social responsibilities in Korea and look for opportunities to do more.
"In celebration of our 15 years in Korea, we opened our first ‘community store' in October 2014," Ring said. "The store shows our strong commitment to supporting opportunities for young people in Korea."
Starbucks Coffee Korea opened the community store in Daehangno, northern Seoul. The store has been donating 300 won (28 cents) from each purchase to Green Umbrella, or Child Fund Korea, which has been partnering with the coffee chain to implement a wide range of activities over the years.
The donations have been financing the charity's "Youth Leadership Program" aimed at supporting underprivileged students.
Under the program, 15 university students were selected in February and will each be awarded a $4,500 scholarship annually through graduation. On Oct. 7, Starbucks donated 120 million won ($100,000) to the charity, which will select more students for the leadership program.
"We are deeply humbled and grateful by how our customers have embraced the community store and the positive difference it is making in the lives of these students," the senior vice president said. "The store aims to become a social hub to find and support smart solutions for the local community. It exemplifies our efforts to support disengaged youth by creating pathways to lifelong opportunities."
The community store also hosts workshops and seminars facilitated by business and community leaders on important topics affecting the community, he said. "In addition, the store organizes monthly volunteer activities, which brings together our employees and customers to improve the surrounding community."
When asked whether Starbucks plans to open more such stores in Korea, Ring declined to provide an answer, only saying the Seattle-based coffee franchise is committed to several empowerment programs for a diverse population.
"In partnership with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, we have developed unique programs to train and hire youth and returning mothers to the workforce," he said. "We are also partnering with the Korea Junior Achievement program at 18 vocational high schools across the country to mentor students for resume writing, job interviews and effective communications."
The executive said he is optimistic about Starbucks' future in Korea, stressing the company will do more to earn customers' business and trust, and to remain one of the country's most respected employers.
"Since opening our first store in Seoul in 1999, we have worked to create a relevant and unique experience for our customers in Korea," Ring said. "We are focusing on delivering the highest quality coffee, with engaged employees, innovative store designs and a deep connection to the communities we serve. We will continue to introduce market-leading digital and loyalty platforms, which will further elevate our customers' experiences inside and outside our stores."
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