On May 31 KST, NCT members Taeyong and Renjun subtly hinted at the group’s ongoing merchandise collaboration with Starbucks Korea.

First, NCT’s leader Taeyong posted a succinct message on his Instagram story: the word “boycott.” Fans speculated that this message was directed toward the collaboration.

Next, Renjun updated his Instagram story with the word “peace” accompanied by specific emojis. These emojis appeared to reference the NCT x Starbucks Korea collaboration.

Meanwhile, the NCT x Starbucks Korea collaboration officially launched on May 30 KST, featuring three limited edition menu items and a variety of merchandise.

Interestingly, many overseas fans—especially in North America—are currently boycotting the global franchise Starbucks due to allegations of its support for Israel in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

When NCT announced their collaboration with Starbucks Korea, North American fans expressed disapproval and vowed to boycott.

However, Korean fans hold a different perspective. They believe that the political stance of Starbucks America does not necessarily apply to Starbucks Korea (SCK COMPANY Co., Ltd.).

The latter operates as a separate corporation, with its owner and largest shareholder being E-MART24 Inc., a subsidiary of the Shinsegae Group.

Although both companies maintain licensing contracts, requiring Starbucks Korea to pay royalties to Starbucks America for using the brand name and logo, the distinction remains.

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BTS member Jimin made history at the 2024 MAMA AWARDS, becoming the first solo artist ever to win the prestigious Visa Fan’s Choice of the Year award.

On November 22, Jimin was honored with the Fan’s Choice of the Year award at the 2024 MAMA AWARDS JAPAN, held at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. This marks a huge milestone in his career, especially considering his ongoing military service.

Jimin made history as the first solo artist to win the Fan’s Choice of the Year award, a category that BTS had dominated for six years since its debut in 2018.

In addition to this achievement, Jimin also took home the Fan’s Choice Grand Prize, making him a two-time winner at this year’s awards.

Although Jimin couldn't attend the ceremony due to his military service, his name was met with loud cheers from fans when announced.

His incredible win continues to prove his global influence as a solo artist. Jimin had also won Best Male Artist at the 2023 MAMA AWARDS, marking back-to-back wins at the event.

The MAMA AWARDS praised Jimin for his groundbreaking achievements, saying, “As the first K-pop solo artist to reach 4 billion streams and set the longest-running #1 record for a Korean artist, Jimin has proven his influence as a world-class artist and global pop star.”

Jimin's win also made him the first solo artist to claim a grand prize at the MAMA AWARDS in 10 years, with his achievement sparking excitement worldwide.

On X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag “CONGRATULATIONS JIMIN” topped the trends, while “우리지민이상받았네” (Our Jimin Got the Award) reached the #1 spot in Korea.

Jimin’s ongoing success continues to shine even during his military service. He was also recently named Best K-pop at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards and continues to be recognized for his charitable efforts, including a recent donation of 100 million KRW to the National Defense Soldier and Veteran Love Fund.

Source: [1]