Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
BTS’ V was announced as the new ambassador for Coke Zero in South Korea, replacing HYBE labelmates NewJeans. The campaign is led by Coca-Cola Korea under LG Household & Health Care.
While many Korean fans welcomed the collaboration, parts of BTS’ global fandom expressed concern due to Coca-Cola's inclusion on various boycott lists related to human rights issues.
Coca-Cola has previously been cited in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement for its commercial presence in Israel. Though not Israeli-owned, the brand has drawn scrutiny from human rights groups.
A 2024 Coca-Cola ad campaign in Bangladesh, aimed at distancing the brand from controversy, was pulled after backlash. That context was brought back into conversation following V’s announcement.
Some fans defended V, noting that Coca-Cola Korea operates independently from the global parent company and is not directly involved in the controversies surrounding Coca-Cola’s global operations.
A segment of fans dismissed the criticism altogether, framing V’s brand decisions as his personal choice, and urged others not to impose geopolitical expectations on entertainers.
V is not the first K-pop idol to receive pushback for promoting Coca-Cola. Similar backlash has occurred in the past, and fans feel artists and agencies are increasingly expected to consider global sensitivities.
V, like his BTS bandmates, has a history of quiet donations to social causes. Some fans believe this history makes the endorsement more complex rather than outright hypocritical.
As of now, neither V nor HYBE has issued a statement regarding the criticism, and the campaign continues to run in South Korea.