Kpop Review

EXO Chen Draws Support After Refusing To Buy From Starbucks: 'So Proud...'

EXO’s main vocal Chen is drawing attention for stating that he doesn’t purchase coffee from Starbucks.

Following a recent fan event, a video of Chen telling fans, “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to Starbucks” went viral.

At the time, fans present merely responded by laughing, which led Chen to laugh as well. According to fans present at the event, Chen revealed he prefers to brew his own coffee at home instead.

Once the clip made its rounds, international fans were quick to praise Chen for his words. Currently, people worldwide have decided to boycott Starbucks amid the Israel-Palestine conflict. Previously, Starbucks was under fire after they sued their Workers Union after they posted a pro-Palestinian statement on social media, with the Starbucks logo on their post.

While Starbucks has since come out and stated that they are not pro-Israel, that has not stopped people from launching a boycott. Starbucks has also denied funding the genocide in Gaza, and the company has no branches in Israel. They are also notably absent from the BDS boycott list, but many have stood their ground and continue to boycott the company anyway due to how they treated pro-Palestine employees.

Many believe Chen’s small statement is his way of calling fans to boycott Starbucks and stand in solidarity with Palestine. It was noted by EXO-Ls that ever since the boycott became mainstream, Chen has posted about getting his coffee from local cafes instead of Starbucks.

This was a huge shift, as Chen used to constantly be seen with coffee from the brand.

However, some questioned if that was what his statement actually meant. Those present at the event gave more context to what was happening and revealed Chen was explaining why he won’t need to make a nickname to order Starbucks, and it is because he has stopped purchasing from the brand.

Still, people have applauded Chen for his words. They stated that even if it was just a new preference, they liked how his choice ultimately stood with the greater good.

Previously several K-pop idols have earned the ire of netizens after being seen with Starbucks cups. ENHYPEN’s Jake issued an apology earlier this year after he was seen with a Starbucks cup during a live stream. Jeon Somi continues to receive massive backlash after featuring a Starbucks tumbler in a now-deleted TikTok video.

Additionally, LE SSERAFIM’s Huh Yunjin garnered intense criticism after being seen drinking Starbucks back in March.

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