Starbucks is facing a lot of criticism in South Korea, so much so that locals can’t stand their idols being paired with anyone or even holding a coffee flask in their hands. NCT’s collaboration with Starbucks for an exclusive merchandise line has landed in a spot of bother. While Starbucks is a global coffee giant, it is currently facing calls for a boycott by Koreans in support of Palestine. Unfortunately, this is also affecting NCT, where some fans have opted to unfollow the group.
NCT lost millions of followers due to Starbucks collaboration
NCT’s recent collaboration with Starbucks has sparked controversy, causing a massive drop in its follower count. While member Taeyong expressed his disagreement online (via an Instagram Story supporting the boycott that was later deleted), fans have been expressing their discontent since the announcement. The reason for the boycott appears to be rooted in Starbucks’ past actions in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Several K-pop stars like Le Seraphim’s Huh Yun Jin and Blackpink’s Jisoo have previously faced criticism for their constant liking of the coffee giant. Yet, the partnership with NCT has resulted in a full boycott. This includes not only avoiding their products but also breaking ties with their music, online connections, and artists.
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Big loss to NCT’s Instagram
Every NCT ​​group, including the Taeyong-led group who showed solidarity with Palestine, has seen a significant decrease in their number of followers. The official NCT Instagram page has been affected the most, losing 674,370 followers in the past 30 days. This trend has also been seen in other NCT groups such as NCT 127 (-629,760), NCT DREAM (-633,210) and WayV (-455,340) during the same time period. This effect is not limited to just official pages, as Koreaboo has also seen a loss of over 8 million followers from individual members’ accounts.
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Why are Koreans boycotting Starbucks?
The company has faced criticism for its pro-Israel organization. A major example occurred in June 2023 when more than 8,000 Starbucks employees across the US voted to unionize, a move the company reportedly opposed. According to the AP, in response, “Starbucks wanted to prevent the union from using its name and logo, saying the company has no official stance on the war and that the union’s posts could confuse customers. But many boycotters, like Blake, thought Starbucks should offer more support to the people of Gaza.”
However, following 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 lives, and all hate and weaponized speech.” She added, “We have no political agenda and we do not — and never have — used our profits to fund any government or military operations anywhere.”
