Jake·Jeon Somi Face Backlash for Drinking Starbucks Coffee
Overseas, Employees Fired for Logo Exposure
Some Argue "Don't Force Boycott"
As the conflict between Israel and Palestine intensifies, the boycott movement against companies classified as 'pro-Israel' is spreading to K-pop. On the 5th, ENHYPEN member Jake drank Starbucks coffee during a live broadcast on a fan platform. This led to protests from overseas fans saying, "We should not consume Starbucks."
When the Starbucks cup became controversial, Jake transferred the drink to another cup and apologized, saying, "I made a mistake" and "I will make sure this never happens again." Not only Jake but also singer Jeon So-mi deleted a video on her TikTok account last month showing her getting makeup done after receiving a flood of malicious comments. Although there was nothing wrong with the content of the video itself, she was bombarded with negative comments simply because she used a tumbler with the Starbucks logo.
Boycott Movement Against 'Pro-Israel Companies' Spreads Mainly in Arab Countries
The Starbucks boycott movement began to emerge in October last year. The Starbucks union posted a message on social networking services (SNS) expressing support for Palestine, but the company sued the union for trademark infringement. Since then, Starbucks has been classified as a pro-Israel company, and a boycott movement has spread mainly in Arab countries. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz is Jewish.
As the controversy grew, Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan issued an open letter to employees through the website in December, explaining, "Cities around the world, including North America, are witnessing increasing protests," and added, "We stand for humanity."
A Turkish anchor conducted a live broadcast with a Starbucks cup placed on the table. Photo by TGRT Haber
Not only in Korea but also overseas, there have been cases where people have been criticized for showing themselves consuming Starbucks. In December last year, Turkish news channel TGRT Haber fired anchor Meltem Gunay. The issue arose because Meltem placed a Starbucks logo visibly on the table during the news broadcast. TGRT Haber stated in a press release, "Implicitly advertising a specific company is prohibited," and "The news anchor and director were dismissed for just cause." They also added, "We empathize with the public's sensitivity toward Gaza and will defend it to the end."
Not only Starbucks but also other companies classified as 'pro-Israel,' such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola, have seen K-pop stars caught consuming their products and suffering from indiscriminate malicious comments. Groups like BLACKPINK, SEVENTEEN, aespa, and Red Velvet have not escaped controversy. When NCT's Doyoung was selected as a model for McDonald's Lucky Burger, some overseas fans said they would "unfollow on SNS." However, there are also counterarguments against such controversies, saying "Do not force boycotts." Some express discomfort with indiscriminate criticism and malicious comments.
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