Online communities buzzed with criticism towards Le Sserafim’s Huh Yun-jin for her consumption of Starbucks coffee. (Photo: a screenshot of Huh Yun-jin’s Instagram account)
SEOUL, Mar. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – As the conflict between Israel and Palestine persists, K-pop artists find themselves inadvertently embroiled in the fallout from a boycott movement targeting companies perceived as pro-Israel.
Recently, online communities buzzed with criticism towards Le Sserafim’s Huh Yun-jin for her consumption of Starbucks coffee, considered a trigger for the backlash due to the company’s alleged pro-Israel stance.
Despite the absence of a Starbucks beverage in the contentious photograph on Huh Yun-jin’s personal Instagram, several international netizens took to the comments to express their disappointment.
Critics argued, “How can you change the idol industry if you can’t even participate in a boycott?” and urged the artist to “educate yourself and join the boycott movement” while others expressed disillusionment and pointed out the abundance of alternative cafes.
This is not the first instance of K-pop idols facing backlash for consuming Starbucks products. ENHYPEN’s Jake previously encountered protests from international fans during a live broadcast for sipping Starbucks coffee, leading him to apologize and pledge more careful behavior in the future.
Similarly, singer Jeon Somi faced a barrage of negative comments after sharing a video using a Starbucks tumbler, which she subsequently removed.
Singer Jeon Somi and ENHYPEN’s JAKE (Photo: a screenshot from TikTok and live broadcast)
The boycott against Starbucks initiated in October last year when the company sued its union for trademark infringement over a pro-Palestine post on social media.
This sparked outrage among both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel customers, which lead to widespread calls for a boycott from both sides, accusing Starbucks of taking a pro-Israel stance.
Starbucks, addressing the geopolitical conflict’s impact on its business, reported a decline in sales and foot traffic in the Middle East and the United States during its fourth-quarter earnings announcement.
CEO Laxman Narasimhan acknowledged the boycott’s effect, noting a significant downturn in Middle East revenues and reduced foot traffic in U.S. stores, despite a 5% increase in same-store sales in the U.S.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
