#HYBEDivestFromZionism — Why Netizens Are “Singling Out” The Big 4 Company

The hashtag has trended for several months.
News
Koreaboo

In the months since increased attention was placed on the Israel-Palestine Crisis, K-Pop fans have raised their voices to show support. A boycott of K-Pop’s “Big 4” companies — SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, HYBE, and YG Entertainment — was recently announced by netizens.

Fans Organize Boycott Of K-Pop’s “Big 4” Companies In Support Of Palestine

However, HYBE has been the continued target of criticism from netizens as the hashtag #HYBEDivestFromZionism has remained trending over several months.

Netizens have pointed to multiple reasons for this “singling out.”

HYBE artists were included in the initial pushback against the intentional and unintentional promotion of boycott targets like Starbucks and McDonald’s.

However, even after one of its artists, ENHYPEN‘s Jake, apologized for drinking Starbucks during a live stream, the company did not take any steps to respond to fans’ concerns.

According to fans, the opposite occurred, first with an oddly timed promotion of NewJeans featuring Coca-Cola, another boycotted brand…

…then with LE SSERAFIM‘s recent behind-the-scenes video that included unblurred Starbucks cups.

Fans also criticized the company for working with artists like Justin Timberlake and Usher, who have openly announced their support of Israel.

However, the biggest reason for the company’s continued criticism lies with one of the subsidiary CEOs, Scooter Braun.

Scooter Braun | scooterbraun.com

Scooter Braun has been active in the industry for many years, working with top artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. Public opinion of Braun has been negative, starting with the highly publicized dispute with Taylor Swift over her master recordings.

In 2021, Braun was named CEO of HYBE America, a move many did not agree with.

Bang Si Hyuk (left) and Scooter Braun | @scooterbraun/Instagram

After October 2023, many discovered Braun’s continued support of Israel went further than signing a letter of support.

Through the years, the CEO has made his support clear, and in December 2023, he traveled to the region and met with IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers, speaking at a rally in Tel Aviv.

Many have blamed the IDF’s continued airstrikes for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has left over 22,000 Palestinians dead and thousands more without necessities.

Embed from Getty Images

Because of this, fans have demanded that Braun be removed from his position with HYBE.

Next Page
Scroll to top