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]

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo shared a surprising story from her trainee days!

On January 29, the latest episode of Dex’s Fridge Interview was released on YouTube. During the chat, Dex asked Jisoo if she ever rebelled or broke the rules as a trainee. She confidently replied, “Not at all. The only rebellion I had as a trainee was eating.”

Dex then jokingly imitated her younger self, saying, “I’m perfect, so why are they telling me not to eat? I’m going to eat tteokbokki!”

Jisoo laughed and admitted, “Actually, I was really chubby back then. They kept telling me to lose weight, but I always said, ‘No, I need to eat. I like myself chubby.’”

She even recalled a moment with YG Entertainment’s founder, Yang Hyun Suk:
“The boss told me to lose weight, and I responded like that. He just walked away, thinking, ‘She’s a weird one.’ I literally said, ‘No! I like myself chubby!’”

Jisoo then revealed that after she debuted, she naturally lost weight. She added, “Later, after I debuted and naturally lost weight, he was like, ‘You didn’t lose weight when I told you to, but now that you debuted, you did.’”

Fans are loving Jisoo’s confidence and honesty! Meanwhile, her full interview on Dex’s Fridge Interview is now available on YouTube.

Source: [1]