So here’s what went down: on July 31, 2025, Taehyung from BTS (you know, the “Winter Bear” vocalist who makes ARMY hearts melt) was unveiled as the fresh face of Coke Zero Korea. The campaign’s wob‑worthy tagline is #BestCokeEver, and it’s being handled solely by Coca‑Cola Korea, which—newsflash!—is actually run by LG Household & Health Care, NOT the U.S. headquarters. They manage everything locally—from bottling to advertising—with Korean staff, and profits stay in Korea. Simple economy stuff, right?
Then suddenly, chaos online. Rumors flew that Coke Korea’s money was secretly funding Israel. Cue the collective eye‑roll. Coca‑Cola—the global outfit—had to put up a statement clarifying that it doesn’t finance any country, agenda, or religious belief. The claim that “Coke profits get funneled to Israel”? Totally bogus.
Let’s break it down: there’s zero public record of Coca‑Cola donating to Israel. The company operates in over 200 countries, steadfastly neutral on politics and religion. Notably, Coke has been operating in Palestine since 1998: four plants, seven distribution centers, nearly 970 Palestinian employees, and supports over 10,000 more indirectly. It’s actually the third‑largest private employer there and the fifth‑largest foreign investor. If anything, that’s the kind of job‑creating love story Taehyung would approve of.
Important to note: Taehyung’s partnership is a purely Korean gig. None of the U.S. or global branches had any involvement. This isn’t some shady pipeline of dollars across continents—it’s a local collab celebrating Coke Zero in Korea.
Now let’s not forget that not so long ago, V got himself caught in a drama over a McDonald’s fry packet in an Instagram post. That came built smack into a global boycott against McDonald’s amid allegations of supporting Israeli forces during the Gaza conflict. Result? Over 32,000 lost followers in a single day—the biggest unfollow surge for a K‑Pop star ever. Critics called him out for being oblivious—or worse, tone-deaf; defenders argued some franchises are independently owned and that the image may have been posted out of context.
But let’s zoom out: Taehyung is now doing Coke Zero Korea, and rumors about Zionist conspiracies? Thoroughly debunked. Taehyung’s just doing his thing, and Coke Korea is doing their thing—locally. No secret money trails, no puppet masters, just one icon and one fizzy drink. Fans, relax.
Bonus scoop: in a recent Weverse Live, Taehyung teased that, come August, ARMYs might get a little surprise. Feeling speculative? Good. Stay tuned.
