Sasaeng (Stalker) Fans that Touch, Spy, and Make K-Pop Idols Cry

Are you unknowingly a sasaeng fan?

Sasaeng fans, or stalker fans, are those that know every aspect of a star's life and make stars miserable by basically stalking them. Sasaeng fans are a very serious problem for stars. Leading idol groups are getting harassed by stalker fans that are becoming increasingly rough.

The Escalator Incident at the Airport

One of the current greatest idol groups is EXO, and they have a wide sasaeng fan following. On August 4, EXO went to Gimpo Airport to fly to an event in Pusan. But once they got there, dozens of sasaeng fans rushed at them, and put them in danger. They chased after the stars, even going down the wrong way on the escalator. Because of the crazed fans going the wrong way on the escalator, many people got hurt. An agency rep said, "Not only did the fans put themselves in danger, but they could have hurt a layperson at the airport, or even an EXO member."

But it doesn't end there. EXO revealed in interviews that the members are suffering from over vigilant sasaeng fans. They follow EXO to any and all airports and call out the members' names at the top of their lungs. Sometimes they even get on the same flight with EXO to follow them around, and on occasion they book the seats right next to the members themselves.

But it's so difficult to control them. An agency rep said, "Since even sasaeng fans are fans, it's not easy to deal with the problem." Even though EXO's flight schedules are kept secret, sasaeng fans somehow find out and flock to the airports whenever their plane is scheduled. "Sasaeng fans seem to think that even airport departures are open schedules, but from the star's perspective, they're thankful to have fans, but too much of this kind of activity just makes them miserable."

According to another official, "Another group once pushed away a sasaeng fan that was charging at them, and were charged with 'excessive defense.' With any accident that occurs on site, the blame always seems to fall on the artists." So basically, in the name of fandom, the sasaeng fans are striking the stars' names with red ink.

This isn't to say that the crazed fans' activities are limited to just airports. According to a manager that wishes to stay anonymous, "The idol group that I manage has sasaeng fans that get worse and worse as the days go by. Not only do they come to the agency building, they somehow find out the dorm passwords, and sometimes even come into the very rooms the members are sleeping in."

There are fans that threaten their favorite idols and tell them not to be close friends with so-and-so, and even speak harsh profanities. They go around with cameras and take pictures of the idols sleeping, or of them going into their homes, or of them meeting with their friends. They then share these photos with one another and regard it as "rewarding." But let's consider this: Someone who comes into your house without your knowledge or permission, someone who follows you around, someone who pursues you even when you tell them not to, someone who takes photos and enjoys looking at it all the time... Isn't that what we call a "stalker?"

Oh, and wait til you hear about "sasaeng taxis." They're different from regular taxis, in that they charge about $100 to $300 to follow an idol group around wherever they go. This is a real thing! At Big Bang member G-Dragon's recent solo concert, there were a line of sasaeng taxis waiting behind their car. They wait for sasaeng fans who want them to follow stars back to either their homes or the celebratory dinner that takes place after a concert. It truly is a great "crime collaboration!"

Sasaeng Fans Know Idols' Social Security Numbers

That isn't all. Some sasaeng fans even know idols' social security numbers. One fan was even known to have sent a text message to an idol saying "You have overdue credit card bills this month." That's just crazy. There's no saying how the fan found out the idol's social security number.

And it doesn't even end there! They even find out the idols' flight schedules, credit card spending, portal site ID, e-mail, and passwords. There have even been cases where an idol opens up a new cell phone line, and all of a sudden there will be five or six more lines underneath that idol's name! One idol star opened up his social messenger application and revealed his "suggested friends" list. He said, "It's only been one month since I've gotten this new number, and I've only told about 100 friends. However, there are a mere 800 friend requests. That means there are 800 fans who know my private cell phone number. It gives me chills."

So... are you one of these sasaeng fans? If so, please consider the idol's position. You are suffocating the very idol you claim to be a fan of. Stalking someone isn't a joke, even if it's done publicly. I formally request that you think about what you've done and turn your ways. Let the idols live their lives without fearing for their safety or even their lives. The best way to support your favorite star is to cheer them on, buy their music, and attend their concerts. Please, no more stalking and harassing idols for your own pleasure.

Tags
EXO
sasaeng
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