"He's BA for coca cola Korea"- Fans defend BTS' Taehyung amid brand's renewed controversy as campaigns appear across Korean stadiums

On October 13, 2025, BTS' Taehyung (V) faced backlash from some netizens on social media, as he shared a new image from his ongoing partnership with Coca-Cola Korea. While some users found the brand's endorsement problematic, most fans stepped in to defend him, stating that his endorsement deal is limited to the Korean branch of Coca-Cola.

On July 31, 2025, the BTS star was named the official ambassador for Coca-Cola Zero in South Korea under the campaign titled "#BestCokeEver." This partnership is managed by Coca-Cola Korea, which has been operated by LG Household & Health Care since 2007.

Fans of Taehyung reminded critics that his partnership with the brand is local, emphasizing that it has no connection to outside factors, business, or politics.

While the controversy subsided, it reappeared after Taehyung shared an image on Instagram of his campaign commercial. Many of the singer's fans took to social media to remind people that he was just doing his job as the campaign's representative and was being treated unfairly. An X user, @Herefor tae, wrote,

Others dismissed the outrage as unwarranted. They stressed that he had only shared promotional content related to his contract. As discussions went on, fans redirected their attention to the scale and visual impact of the ongoing campaign.

Videos from Seoul World Cup Stadium during the Korea vs. Brazil football match in mid-October showed Taehyung’s Coke Zero ad playing repeatedly on massive LED screens. Clips from the match quickly spread across X. Fans cheered when they saw his smiling face on the stadium displays.

All about Taehyung’s Coca-Cola Korea campaign, viral ads, & solo activities

Taehyung became the ambassador for Coca-Cola Korea’s latest promotional campaign. A commercial was released in early September, featuring him driving a Coca-Cola truck to a dull gathering and turning it into a lively street party. The advertisement was an immediate hit.

His presence in campaigns has only grown, with large LED displays of him appearing during the Korea vs. Brazil football game at Seoul World Cup Stadium. That moment eventually went viral after fans shared clips of him lighting up the stands.

His face can also be seen on billboards, public screens, and various other Coca-Cola activations across South Korea. Besides his brand activities, V has been involved in other pursuits since his military discharge in June 2025.

He attended the 2025 Paris Fashion Week as Celine’s global ambassador. He was ranked as the top musician and K-pop idol by Lefty for generating $13.1 million in EMV during the event. He also remains an ambassador for Compose Coffee and SnowPeak Appeal. Both campaigns have ongoing advertisements across South Korea.

Taehyung’s post-service schedule has been busy, spanning from filming commercials to preparing for BTS’s highly anticipated group comeback in 2026.

About the author

Mantasha is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda who covers K-pop and K-drama. She has recently completed her Masters in English and has a rich 3-year writing experience where she crafted engaging content for top companies such as Unacademy, Apollo Hospitals, Adani Airports, and the Economic Times. Her experience has helped her create a strong foundation that complements her passion for creating the best content related to K-pop, K-dramas and Korean movies.

Mantasha's interest in pop culture took root when her cousin introduced her to classic Hollywood and Bollywood tunes and the rest, as they say, is history. Mantasha’s connection with K-pop supergroup BTS is a special one as their song lyrics, hard work, and dedication resonate with her like no other group does.

Maintaining accuracy, relevance, and ethics in her reporting is extremely essential for Mantasha. She prioritizes thorough research, delving deep beyond just superficial sources, to ensure comprehensive and trustworthy information.

When not writing, Mantasha enjoys journaling and doodling, watching K-dramas and listening to songs.

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Edited by Shreya Das