Jackson Wang Photo: VCG

Chinese netizens noticed that South Korea’s Shinsegae Duty Free removed all images of Jackson Wang, a Chinese member of South Korean boy band GOT7, who had recently become the store’s spokesperson, from its Instagram account, while still keeping them on its official account on China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo.
 
Wang is one of the many celebrities who have come forth to voice support for Xinjiang cotton by cutting ties with sports brand Adidas. The idol expressed his patriotic stance and ended all cooperation with Adidas on March 25.

The company has not released a statement concerning the deletion, but South Korean media has tied it to Wang’s firm stance against many Western companies’ decision to boycott Xinjiang cotton. 

Shinsegae Duty Free announced Wang as a brand model on March 22 along with a video clip of Wang endorsing the brand. The post is still available on the brand’s official Sina Weibo account.

Prior to that, the company also posted photos of the idol on its official Instagram account on March 25, 2020, according to reports by South Korean media.

In an interview with the South Korean media on Friday, a Shinsegae Duty Free representative said they were still handling the issue and were not yet ready to clarify their stance. 

Many Chinese netizens have voiced discontent for the brand’s move to remove Wang from its Instagram account, questioning why the company is treating him poorly for speaking up for his beliefs as a Chinese person.

Many other Chinese stars, who have large followings in South Korea, have also made similar statements and decisions as Wang, including Huang Zitao and Song Qian. While they have been applauded by Chinese netizens, they have become the target of criticism from some South Korean netizens.