Stray Kids Merchandise Gone for Good? Political Controversy Sparks Outrage

In a surprising turn of events, fans of K-Pop sensation Stray Kids were left puzzled as Photoism, a renowned self-photo service, abruptly pulled the plug on their much-anticipated merchandise release. The reason? "Political reasons," as stated by the company.

The Photoism Connection

Photoism, recognized among K-Pop enthusiasts for its official collaborations with idols, had recently teased a forthcoming partnership on its official Korean social media accounts. A buzz of excitement ensued among fans, eagerly awaiting the reveal.

The Teaser and the Deletion

On March 6, a teaser was posted by Photoism, hinting at the impending release of new Stray Kids merchandise. However, the enthusiasm was short-lived.

pic.twitter.com/WuGvU4AYkh

— 포토이즘 (@photoism_kr) March 6, 2024

The official social media accounts of Photoism's new studio in Taichung reposted the teaser, only to swiftly delete it from Instagram without much explanation.

PHOTOISM with Stray Kids

[1]
Stray Kids x SKZOO POP-UP & CAFE
'𝑺𝑲𝒁𝑶𝑶'𝑺 𝑴𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑪 𝑺𝑪𝑯𝑶𝑶𝑳’
▪ 위치 | 성수 AP AGAIN / 사운드웨이브 합정점
▪ 기간 | 3/14 – 3/31 (KST)

[2]
Stray Kids 4TH FANMEETING
'𝑺𝑲𝒁'𝑺 𝑴𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑪 𝑺𝑪𝑯𝑶𝑶𝑳’
▪ 위치 | KSPO DOME
▪ 기간 | 3/29 –… pic.twitter.com/8COTfu15ns

— 포토이즘 (@photoism_kr) March 7, 2024

The Announcement

In lieu of the anticipated unveiling, an announcement from Photoism shed light on the situation:

"Announcement

Regarding the photo frame collaboration with Stray Kids, due to political reasons, we are currently working hard to coordinate with their agency.

We do our best to fight for every collaboration."

- Photoism

Fan Confusion

The sudden turn of events left fans bewildered, particularly since merchandise for other JYP Entertainment artists remains available. Their confusion was palpable in online comments:

• "What do you mean political issues???????"
• "Life4cuts has TWICE frames, so what issues could Stray Kids have? And political ones to boot. I don't get it."
• "Why didn't you post after confirming everything first!@#$%^&"*
• "How come there aren't any political issues with ITZY and NMIXX, then?"

Despite the uproar among fans, the Photoism Taichung store has opted to remain silent on the matter, leaving the Stray Kids merchandise release shrouded in mystery.

As fans eagerly await further developments, the "political reasons" behind the sudden halt of the collaboration continue to baffle and intrigue.

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KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.