BTS’ V Accused of Ignoring Palestinian Cause in Coca-Cola Partnership

V, known globally as Kim Taehyung from the South Korean boy band BTS, is the latest celebrity to face accusations of “apathy” in response to the genocide in Gaza after Coca-Cola Zero named him their newest global ambassador on July 31.

Many fans immediately began to boycott V and accuse him of being “tone deaf” and “deeply disappointing” after he joined other Coca-Cola zero endorsers, like G-Dragon and Hani (winner of Mnet’s Produce 101), on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) list of companies “actively operating and profiting from Israel’s illegal settlements.”

In South Korea, a full promotional campaign for #BestCokeEver was revealed with a commercial video and a show-stopping image: Kim Taehyung replacing his HYBE label mates, the girl group NewJeans, as Coca-Cola Zero’s new brand ambassador.

Kim Taehyung of BTS is one of the latest celebrities to have their image tarnished over endorsement deals.

It is by no means a surprise that major brands use popular celebrities to help market their wares, but in 2024, with world opinion firmly in support of Palestine, controversial endorsement deals are coming under greater and greater scrutiny.

Activism vs. Silence on Gaza

While the choice of V as Coca-Cola Zero’s global ambassador might not have been surprising, for many BTS fans, it has come to represent a growing divide between the South Korean band’s usual image and V’s apparent “apathy” towards the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

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Over the years, BTS members have carefully cultivated an image of themselves as socially conscious young adults, speaking out against discrimination towards Asians and standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

V’s Coke Endorsement in Historical Context

However, when it comes to Israel and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, BTS as a whole and V in particular have remained silent. For the K-pop band and its members, being active on political topics is by no means the norm, and many of their domestic fan base see this silence as a sign of respect towards government officials.

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However, for global K-pop fans, particularly those from Muslim-majority countries and Palestine, it has also raised red flags about BTS’ supposed apathy towards certain hot-button issues.

Fans See Endorsement as Apathetic

The problem of BTS’s continued apathy towards the genocide in Gaza has not just been present since the escalation of the war there earlier this year, but has been long-standing, as evidenced by V’s previous brand endorsements.

In 2023, V faced a smaller but similar,outcry when he posed with a McDonald’s fries photo on social media. McDonald’s, like Coca-Cola, has been linked to Israel in terms of branding and operations, and V’s tweet was another example of the K-pop star seemingly endorsing companies involved in the Palestinian genocide.

READ MORE: Fans Shame BTS Jin, Kwon Eun-bin for Gift Ideas with Israel Flag Air Freshener

Coca-Cola on BDS List

Coca-Cola’s ongoing operations on Palestinian land have repeatedly come under fire from BDS and pro-Palestine activists. In 2024, the company was criticized for an advertisement in Bangladesh that denied any direct or indirect association with Israel.

Activists quickly pointed out that there was, a Coca-Cola Israel company, with facilities on illegally occupied Palestinian land.

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One of their primary sources was WhoProfits, an independent research center that tracks Israeli occupation and monitors corporate involvement with illegal settlements.

WhoProfits has a dedicated section on Coca-Cola Israel on their website and has been able to confirm, using the Israeli corporate database “Dun and Bradstreet,” that the company’s facilities are located in “illegal settlement-industrial zones.”

Specifically, Coca-Cola Israel’s facilities are located in the Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone, and the company also owns the Tabor Winery, which sources its grapes from the occupied West Bank and the Syrian Golan Heights.

The connection of major brands to Israel’s illegal occupation has repeatedly been the cause for large boycott campaigns and has made Coca-Cola a regular target for pro-Palestine and BDS activists in the past. For many, it is baffling that V would choose to endorse a company with such a sordid history.

Fans Demand Apology from V

Fans, particularly those from international ARMYs, have made their displeasure with V’s newest brand endorsement loud and clear, with countless social media posts demanding BTS’ youngest member cancel the commercial and apologize.

Fans have been urging V to educate himself on the issue, which, according to many of their posts, has remained a blind spot in BTS’s carefully curated advocacy.

The latest in a long line of angry posts reads:

“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.”

Fan Reaction

Fan frustration over BTS’ perceived apathy towards the genocide in Gaza has been growing since the start of the year, as many have expected the band to at least take a firm stance on the issue, if not actively voice their support for Palestine.

Coupled with the assumption that BTS is an apolitical band, fans have often placed increased expectations on V’s image and endorsements, as he is the only member with a large enough platform to make a difference on his own.

READ MORE: BTS J-Hope Tears Up as He Shares Differing Views from Army Amid Israel-Gaza War

V’s public image is likely to be inextricably linked with the Coke Zero endorsement for years to come.