In the midst of the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, the global K-pop fandom is awakening to political issues, and many fans are standing in solidarity with Palestinians.
The situation has heated up as calls for boycotting brands rumored to support Israel, including Starbucks and McDonald's, dominate fan discussions.
In a Korean online community, netizens discussed the growing criticism of K-pop idols seemingly endorsing brands linked to Israel, like Starbucks and McDonald's.
The post mentioned, "International fans are boycotting global brands allegedly associated with Israel. There's a strong demand for K-pop idols promoting these brands to join the boycott. They've even listed K-pop artists seen drinking Starbucks. Why are idols facing criticism for just enjoying things they bought with their own money?".
These events highlight the significant global impact of K-pop and how its idols are affected by international issues.
It also emphasizes the pressure on K-pop stars to navigate global politics due to the diverse and passionate nature of their fanbase.
Netizens' reactions include:
"Starbucks operates under a separate license in Korea, with Shinsegae holding all the shares. Elon Musk supported Israel, yet Twitter is excluded from the boycott list as it's considered a communication channel."
"Boycotting idols over this is like terrorism against individuals. They might not realize the impact of their actions."
"They call us oversensitive about the Rising Sun Flag, but now they want us to heed everything they say? Start by boycotting Twitter. LOL."
"It's unfortunate; the time spent harassing Korean artists could be used to spread the boycott in their own countries."
"K-netizens calling others sensitive? That's hilarious! What happened to owning mirrors and self-reflection?"
Source[1]
