NCT Fans Announce A Boycott Of The Group’s Latest Brand Endorsement In Support Of Palestine

Fans of NCT have called for a boycott targeting the group’s latest collaboration with Starbucks.

download - 2024-05-30T181042.178 — NCT | *Namu Wiki*

Recently, Starbucks Korea launched an extensive collaboration with NCT for not only food and drinks, but also various merchandize.

Starbucks Korea announces exclusive collaboration with NCT for drinks, food and merchandise.https://t.co/1HvzJcbIYN pic.twitter.com/7S7POPVBLf

— Kpop Charts (@kchartsmaster) May 30, 2024

But fans are not happy with this brand deal, as Starbucks falls under the BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) list of brands that are being boycotted globally for their involvement in Zionism. Amidst the horrific onslaught on civilian lives in the Gaza Strip in Palestine by Israel, an accelerating global movement is aiming to dismantle the financial support that makes these heinous attacks on innocent lives possible. Many K-Pop fandoms have also joined in the efforts.

Israel/OPT: Israeli air strikes that killed 44 civilians is further evidence of war crimes. @amnesty investigated three Israeli strikes on al-Maghazi and Rafah last month which killed 32 children playing foosball or at home.

In all three cases, Amnesty International did not… pic.twitter.com/4dc6sxFBdM

— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) May 29, 2024

Israeli 🇮🇱 missiles strikes an encampment in Rafah 🇵🇸

Missiles made in the USA 🇺🇸 targeting innocent people who have been bombed from homes into tents. Told they would be ‘safe’

It was never ‘defence’
Always oppression
Always genocide
Forever disgustingpic.twitter.com/5oqDBDqAwK

— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) May 29, 2024

In the past few months, multiple idols have faced intense backlash for featuring Starbucks drinks in their social media content or even appearing with them in public. Many have argued that Starbucks Korea is co-owned by Korea-based E-Mart (a Shinsegae affiliate) and Singapore-based GIC Private LTD and, hence, is a separate entity from its American counterpart. However, the chain still has to pay a certain percentage of royalty to the American headquarters for using the Starbucks branding, which inevitably subjects their monetary profits to the BDS movement.

Hence, NCT fans have banded together in large numbers to renounce this new collaboration, calling out SM Entertainment in the process. With a hashtag that said “SM_Boycott_Genocide,” the fans have put forth their demands for the label to stop associating their artists with any brand that supports this violation of human rights in Gaza. The hashtag was trending on X (formerly Twitter) with an overwhelming number of posts calling for this same demand.

Hello SM @SMTOWN_Idn !

We do NOT want NCT or any of your artists to associate or promote S**BUC*KS, or any companies that are financing a genocide in Palestine.

Please take note of our concerns.@SMTOWNGLOBAL @NCTsmtown #SM_BOYCOTT_GENOCIDE pic.twitter.com/LhdXQtQBA8

— NCTzen Humanity & Help Indonesia (@nctzenhumanity) May 29, 2024

You guys are so ignorant, i hate each and everyone of you.

스벅은 팔레스타인의 학살을 응원과 자금을 지원하고 있고 시즈니는 엔시티가 학살을 응원하는 브랜드와 연관되는 것을 원하지 않습니다!@SMTOWNGLOBAL @SMTOWN_Idn @NCTsmtown #sm_보이콧_제노사이드 #SM_BOYCOTT_GENOCIDE pic.twitter.com/bXW9u3fl3V

— hae🧸 (@brillantebyul) May 30, 2024

저희는 엔시티 포함한 귀사의 아티스트가 팔레스타인 대량학살 자금을 조달하는 회사와 그 어떤 콜라보를 응원할 수도 없고 가만히 보고만 있을 수 없습니다.

불매운동 대상 기업과 협력 취소하길 바랍니다@SMTOWNGLOBAL @SMTOWN_Idn @NCTsmtown #sm_보이콧_제노사이드 #SM_BOYCOTT_GENOCIDE pic.twitter.com/Vh20TBDsoj

— 7DREAM CREW (@7DREAM_CREW) May 29, 2024

Hello, SM Entertainment

We do NOT want NCT DREAM or any of your artists to associate or promote STARBUCKS or any companies that are financing a genocide in Palestine.

Please take note of our concerns.@SMTOWNGLOBAL @NCTsmtown @NCTsmtown_DREAM @SMTOWN_Idn #SM_BOYCOTT_GENOCIDE pic.twitter.com/gAHbcDCMSx

— ًً (@LJNFEED) May 29, 2024

Hello SM,

We do NOT want NCT or any of your artists to associate or promote S**BUC*KS or any companies that are financing a genocide in Palestine.

Please take note of our concerns.@SMTOWNGLOBAL @SMTOWN_Idn @NCTsmtown #SM_BOYCOTT_GENOCIDE pic.twitter.com/koFQie1W98

— 𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐀. (@namericoffee_) May 29, 2024

Hello, SM Entertainment

We do NOT want NCT or any of your artists to associate or promote STARBUCKS or any companies that are financing a genocide in Palestine.

Please take note of our concerns.@SMTOWNGLOBAL @NCTsmtown @NCTsmtown_DREAM @SMTOWN_Idn #SM_BOYCOTT_GENOCIDE pic.twitter.com/bm2xmjluGR

— MARKMIN PH (@markminph) May 30, 2024

Other fandoms, including ARMYs, who have been calling for HYBE to divest from Zionism for months, have shown their support and admiration for this boycott movement. Meanwhile, many believe that NCT member Taeyeong has addressed these calls in a now-deleted Instagram story. You can read about it here.