Starbucks in South Korea has banned customers from using the names of the country’s presidential candidates – or the disgraced former president – for their orders, the coffee giant told AFP on Wednesday.
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South Korea is holding snap presidential elections on June 3, to decide who will replace impeached former president Yoon Suk-yeol, ousted last month for his disastrous attempt to impose martial law in December.
In South Korea, Starbucks stores run a “Call My Name” service, which allows customers to select a nickname – which they input via the Starbucks app – that baristas use to announce orders when complete.
Customers will not be able to use the names of all seven presidential candidates, including front runner Lee Jae-myung, and main conservative rival Kim Moon-soo, until after the vote, the company said.
Starbucks said it had taken the action, which was announced this week as official campaigning started, based on past experience of customers misusing the “Call My Name” feature during previous elections.
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The feature is a “unique Starbucks service designed to build a sense of connection between store staff and customers”, the company said in a statement.