Starbucks Korea on Wednesday opened its first Community Store in the bustling university district of Daehangno, Seoul, in a bid to follow its global vision of “giving back to the community.”

The store ― the eighth in the world following six in the U.S. and one in Thailand ― will donate 300 won ($0.2) for every item it sells to ChildFund Korea to support the country’s underprivileged youth by offering leadership programs, according to the company.

“We expect to donate between 80-100 million won through the program every year,” said Starbucks Korea CEO Lee Seock-koo at a press conference held to announce the opening of the store.

“If this amount is found to be insufficient for offering leadership programs, we plan to make additional donations as a part of our regular corporate social responsibility campaign.” 

The programs that Starbucks will be offering children from underprivileged families and backgrounds include a four-year university scholarship, opportunities to attend leadership training camps and mentoring programs, and also internship and volunteering opportunities. After graduation, they will be given the chance to work for Starbucks Korea, the CEO said.

The community store was designed to promote the spirit of sharing that Starbucks has advocated since the very beginning of the business, said John Culver, group president of Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific for Channel Development and Emerging Brands.

“We have always wanted to give back to the community,” he said. “We have also wanted to have a positive difference to our partners and the society we serve. We hope our customers could come here and share conversations about making a positive difference to where we live in.”

Starbucks Korea currently runs 690 branches. Last year, it grossed 492 billion won in sales.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)