Are you a fan of any k-idol? But do you consider yourself at a normal level or to the point of being obsessive? If you are the type of stalker, you probably fit the term Sasaeng (사생), that is, an obsessive fan of some k-idol. Sasaengs cause fear because they are capable of putting their own lives and that of the celebrity at risk.
The expression Sasaeng comes from Korean pop culture, and “sa” means private (from hanja 私) and “saeng” means life (from hanja 生), referring to the obsession with artists to the point of invading their private lives. Let’s see how these fans negatively interfere in the lives of South Korean artists.
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What is a sasaeng capable of?
Sasaengs are also considered stalkers. They watch the k-idol to know their steps in order to pursue them. Initially, sasaengs were just admirers of the celebrities, but their love grew to the point of crossing boundaries.
These groups do everything to get their hands on something that the k-idol has used (even underwear and chewed gum!!!), they place hidden cameras mainly in bedrooms and bathrooms (there are cases of them taking feces and urine from the artists), to have exclusive images of them in their normal days. The supposed fans, besides everything, spend their savings buying tickets to go anywhere the artist is. And the worst part is that most do not consider themselves sasaengs in the full sense of the word.
Many make a business out of this; besides selling hidden camera footage, they also trade information from the phones they access illegally. So k-idols are constantly victims of embarrassment and fake news, which even leads them to severe symptoms of depression and distances them from the stage.
Sasaeng taxi
Even taxi drivers have joined in to contribute to the sasaengs. The taxi drivers are not fans, but they help with the acts to make more money off such fanaticism by charging absurd amounts. They can earn a good amount of money from this.
So in the end, besides spending money to pursue their idols, sasaengs also profit from everything they can get from the artist, even a hair strand! Being a sasaeng is almost a profession. Although auctions of personal items from artists are part of Western culture, what these fanatics do is a crime.
Anti-fans
Let’s say that anti-fans are a subcategory of sasaengs. They always follow k-idols, but with the intention of tarnishing their image. They know everything about the artist’s life to use as weapons and spread fake news. They create fake profiles on social media to defame and criticize, and are capable of anything to disrupt the celebrity’s life.
But anti-fans are quite violent, capable of killing the artist. One example was what happened to Yunho from TVXQ in 2006; he was a victim of anti-fans. He received an orange juice from a supposed fan, and inside it contained pieces of glass and glue; Yunho had to be hospitalized because he started vomiting blood afterward. After that, the idol became more cautious with gifts from fans.
Measures against sasaengs
To reduce the number of cases and have punishments to deter sasaengs, in 2011 a new clause was added to the South Korean Minor Offenses Law to protect k-pop members. Another measure was the development of a support center for singers to offer advice and help artists deal with the spotlight.
On July 16, 2021, SM Entertainment, the agency responsible for the bands EXO, NCT, aespa, SHINee, Red Velvet, took a stand on the issue and stated that measures are already being taken against sasaengs. The company said that even virtual attacks will be taken into consideration and strict measures will be implemented.
Real cases of sasaengs in action
Unfortunately, this is part of the reality of k-idols. Despite precautions and security, sasaengs appear at very unexpected moments. I will mention here some cases.
Jungkook from BTS
In 2019, the member of the boyband BTS, Jungkook was streaming a live for at least 4.4 million people. He did this because during the broadcast he received a call asking if that was really Jungkook’s number. So the artist immediately said live that in such cases he blocks the call and that it is common for him to receive calls from sasaengs.
Heechul and Leeteuk from Super Junior
In 2011, Leeteuk and Heechul were in a car when they started being chased by some cars with sasaengs. The artists tried to escape by taking various routes, but unfortunately, they could not shake them off and had an accident with 7 other cars. No one was seriously injured.
Taeyeon from Girls Generation
In 2011, during a Girls Generation performance, a fan entered the stage and tried to kidnap Taeyeon. The fanatic tried to take her by pulling her by the wrists, and another member of the group, Sunny, tried to stop him. Fortunately, the sasaeng was unable to kidnap the group’s leader due to the quick action of the security team.
Shim Changmin from TVXQ
Shim Changmin is the main vocalist of the band and he received many calls from female fans; annoyed by this, he decided to change his number. Minutes later, he received a message stating that he had changed his number. He changed his number once again and received another message from a fan saying that changing numbers so many times is not good. Not to mention that the singer received photos of personal things that only had where he lived.
EXO group
A sasaeng pushed Kai from the band EXO with the intention of hurting him, and he ended up injuring his ankle and had to be taken away with the help of the other members. There was also a case where a sasaeng entered the hotel room where former member Tao was staying and placed a camera in the bathroom to record him while he was showering. The group is one of those that goes through the most situations involving sasaengs.
Can sasaengs really be considered fans?
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