Korean fans: Is it now a sin for K-pop idols to drink cola or coffee?
Since last year, many international fans have been leaving malicious comments on K-pop idols who drink a specific brand of coffee and cola.
Last October, Starbucks workers’ union posted a message supporting Palestine on social media, leading Starbucks to sue the union for trademark infringement. As a result, Starbucks, categorized as a ‘pro-Israel’ company, faced boycotts among global consumers.
Subsequently, K-pop idols who consume Starbucks also face criticism from international K-pop fans. Jeon Somi was captured using a Starbucks tumbler in a makeup video on her TikTok account and had to endure international fans’ malicious comments. Eventually, Jeon Somi deleted the video.
ENHYPEN’s Jake also faced protests from international fans who urged him not to consume Starbucks when he was seen drinking Starbucks coffee during a live broadcast. Jake apologized, transferred the drink to another cup, and said, “I made a mistake. I will make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Recently, LE SSERAFIM’s Huh Yunjin also faced backlash on social media after posting a photo of herself drinking a beverage with the Starbucks logo visible.
Following coffee, cola also became a problem. Stray Kids’ Felix recently showed a Coca-Cola bottle and drank from it during a live broadcast while eating chicken, in response to fans asking, “What are you drinking?”
As a result, the live chat was flooded with demands for apologies from fans. Recently, some global brands, including Coca-Cola, faced boycotts from some overseas consumers for continuing operations in Russia, which invaded Ukraine.
Similar demands for apology flooded towards Felix, demanding his participation in the boycott. Felix eventually apologized, saying, “I’m sorry for showing the Coca-Cola bottle. I didn’t intend to hurt anyone’s feelings. I won’t do that again next time.”
In addition to these incidents, members of famous idol groups such as BLACKPINK, Red Velvet, SEVENTEEN, and aespa have also received criticism from international fans for consuming products from companies classified as ‘pro-Israel.’
Korean fans are raising voices of criticism against international fans, “They just drank a beverage,” “It has nothing to do with supporting Russia or Israel,” “Don’t force boycotts,” “Why blame innocent K-pop idols?” However, criticism towards K-pop idols continues unabated.
As the stage of K-pop idols’ activities expands to the global market, it is inevitable that they will be influenced by various international situations. However, it is not reasonable to pour criticism only on idols as if they are the only ones consuming the brands consumed by people all over the world. Nevertheless, as international fans also play a significant role in the K-pop market, the concerns of idols and agencies are deepening further.
Source: daum
