When K-pop superfans turn ugly – the dark side of the Korean pop culture phenomenon, where admiration turns to obsession
Fans often adore their idols from a distance, but some sasaeng – obsessed fans – take their love to a creepy, and at times, criminal level. In one case, a groupie broke into the house of a member from K-pop act TVXQ and took a photo
By Dong Sun-hwa
What makes some people get so obsessed that they turn into sasaeng – K-pop fans who pursue their idols to the point of not just offending them but making them feel threatened?
“People, especially teenagers, in Korea are lacking opportunities to enjoy cultural activities, which I believe is one of the crucial factors that gave birth to the sasaeng phenomenon,” says Kwak Keum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University.
K-pop’s devoted and sometimes dangerous superfan culture
Sasaeng means private life in Korean, but in this case it refers to obsessive fans.
“In their early days, they mostly watched television and listened to K-pop, instead of enjoying a variety of hobbies such as playing instruments and sports. They often do not have other pastimes and hence they get obsessed with their only hobby to the degree that it inflicts damage on the stars,” he says.
They [K-pop idols] need to be firm and let the fans clearly know what is right and what is wrong.
Kwak says the media is partly responsible for the phenomenon, as it focuses too much on hallyu – Korean pop culture – not allowing people to appreciate diversity.