Starbucks is facing a lot of heat in South Korea, to the extent that locals cannot stand their idols being associated with or even holding the coffee flask in their hands. NCT’s collaboration with Starbucks for an exclusive merchandise line has hit a snag. While Starbucks is a global coffee giant, it’s currently facing a boycott call from Koreans in support of Palestine. This has unfortunately spilt over and impacted NCT, with some fans choosing to unfollow the group.
NCT loses millions of followers over Starbucks Collab
NCT’s recent collaboration with Starbucks has sparked controversy, leading to a massive drop in followers. While member Taeyong briefly voiced his disapproval online (through a since-deleted Instagram story supporting the boycott), fans have been expressing their dissatisfaction since the announcement. The reason for the boycott appears to be rooted in Starbucks’ past actions regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Several K-pop stars, such as Le Sserafim’s Huh Yun Jin and BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo, have faced backlash for consistently preferring the coffee giant earlier. Yet, with NCT, the partnership appears to have resulted in a complete boycott. This involves not just avoiding their products but also their music, online connections, and severing relationships with the artists.
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NCT’s Instagram suffers big loss
Every NCT group, including those led by Taeyong who seemingly showed solidarity with Palestine, has experienced a notable decrease in their number of followers. The official NCT Instagram page has been the most affected, losing 674,370 followers in the last 30 days. This trend is also observed in other NCT groups such as NCT 127 (-629,760), NCT DREAM (-633,210), and WayV (-455,340) accounts during the same timeframe. The effect is not limited to official pages, as Koreaboo has noted a total loss of more than 8 million followers from individual members’ accounts as well.
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Why are Koreans boycotting Starbucks?
The company is being called out for its pro-Israel association. One major instance occurred in June 2023 when over 8,000 Starbucks workers across the US voted to unionize, a move the company reportedly opposed. The response, as per AP, “Starbucks wanted to stop the union from using its name and logo, saying the company had no official stance on the war and the union’s post might confuse customers. But many boycotters, like Blake, thought Starbucks should offer more support to the people of Gaza.”
However, after Huh Yun Jin’s case, where fans accused her of “ignoring the genocide” in Gaza, the coffee mogul responded on March 18, saying, “Our position remains unchanged. Starbucks stands for humanity. We condemn violence, the loss of innocent life, and all hate and weaponized speech.” They further added, “We have no political agenda and do not use our profits to fund any government or military operations anywhere – and never have.”
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