- calendar_today August 23, 2025
Kim Taehyung Faces Calls to Drop Coca-Cola Amid Gaza Bombings
BTS’ Kim Taehyung, known as V, is facing criticism after being announced as the new face of Coca-Cola Zero in South Korea. The decision was released on July 31 as part of the product’s “World First Look Reveal” on Weverse and has since been called out for being “tone deaf” and “deeply disappointing” as Coca-Cola has been listed on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) list during the Gaza genocide.
Coca-Cola Korea recently launched its promotional campaign on social media with the hashtag #BestCokeEver, posting high-quality images and exciting announcements: V taking over from his HYBE labelmates, the rookie girl group NewJeans, as the face of Coca-Cola Zero.
While it is not uncommon for big companies to enlist the help of popular celebrities to promote their products, this time, it seems that the particular choice of representative sparked some debate.
The Association Of BTS’s Image With V’s Political Silence
The decision became all the more surprising to BTS’s international fanbase because of the perceived dissonance between the band’s public persona and V’s endorsement choice. BTS has spoken out about social justice issues many times in the past, including the discrimination against Asians and even Black Lives Matter. However, they remain conspicuously quiet about Gaza, which to many feels like a step back from the image they’ve worked hard to promote.
Furthermore, V has previously been the target of minor fan backlash for his brand collaborations, drawing flak for posting a photo of McDonald’s fries just a year before the Coca-Cola announcement. Similar to Coca-Cola, McDonald’s is another global brand mired in allegations of operating on stolen land, a move that fans of BTS find hypocritical in light of the group’s activism record.
Why Fans Are Targeting V For Endorsing Coca-Cola Zero
The negative reaction towards V’s newest collaboration can also be explained by the company’s history. In 2024, Coca-Cola stirred up controversy for an ad in Bangladesh, in which they vehemently denied all ties to Israel. Activists took issue with this statement almost immediately, citing the existence of Coca-Cola Israel, a branch of the company that activists have accused of working in illegal settlements.
According to WhoProfits, an Israel/Palestine research center tracking corporate involvement in Israel’s illegal occupation, Coca-Cola Israel has a production site in the Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone, a collection of factories considered illegal under international law. In addition, their Tabor Winery has been noted for harvesting grapes from both the occupied West Bank and the Syrian Golan Heights.
The company’s involvement in Israel has made it a frequent target of BDS supporters and pro-Palestine boycott movements. For many fans, endorsing Coca-Cola not only serves to directly profit from the company’s work on stolen Palestinian land but also shows a severe lack of understanding of the issue itself, from a Korean artist with a large number of international fans.
Fans Calling Out V On Social Media
Fans, particularly international ARMYs, have not been shy in their vocal criticism of V’s decision. Many have taken to social media to post statements like the following, calling for boycotts and speaking directly to V to protest his continued involvement with the commercial project:
“Dear Taehyung BTS, Coca Cola has been operating on the stolen land of the Palestinians, some of whom are your ARMY. Please don’t work with and promote its products. Please educate yourself. Cancel the endorsement and stand with humanity.”
Fans’ anger seems to be not only at V for this apparent hypocrisy, but at the group as a whole for not speaking out about Gaza. Many have asked why BTS, the Korean superstars, are unwilling to use their international influence to make a stand for Gaza when they were willing to do so in the past.
