It is no news that the k-pop fandom is spread throughout the globe. Irrespective of any age, race, or ethnicity, fans of Korean Music are known for their love and loyalty (Well when it comes to choosing biases,š) These fans are lovable, caring, and kind, going out of the way for not only their idols but also for normal people.
But there are also fans who are not only the opposite of the qualities mentioned above but are also selfish, intrusive, and, honestly, DOWNRIGHT CREEPY. These fans are called āSasaengsā
WHAT IS A SASAENG?
A fan who is basically out of the line, being extreme in every fan activity, is a sasaeng. For example, hating on every idol of a band except your favorite members. But recognizing a sasaeng requires a lot of attention and entails hyping your āSpidey sensesā. To help you out, we have compiled five signs through which you can detect a sasaeng or detect one within yourself *ominous music ensues.
1. Invading Personal Space
Watching your idols through your screens or in a concert is everything for a fan. But when they get to meet them in person, either in fan meetings, airports, or even in normal, day-to-day life, those are the moments a fan cherishes the most. A real fan keeps their distance, maintaining the idolās personal space and privacy, asking respectfully for a picture, or just waving at them. A sasaeng, on the other hand, invades their privacy, being all over the idol, practically invading their personal zone. So, if you see a fan invading the idolās space and making them uncomfortable, thatās a sasaeng.
2. Being too obsessed
Well, loving our idols is only natural because they hold a special place in our hearts. Every fan has their one k-pop fan origin story; how their idols changed their lives, even saved them, and helped them through life. Hence, loving them unconditionally is only natural. While we love them, we know that going overboard with imaginative scenarios is a bit much. But sasaengs do not understand the limit. They claim their bias as theirs and believe that the idol is only theirs and belongs to no one else.
3. Stalking
While idols basically live under the eyes and limelight of the glamour world, they do have their own lives. Hence, they need their own privacy. Fans usually respect these boundaries, keep their distance, and do not peep into the personal lives of idols. But some fans are unable to grasp the fact that idols do have their own life outside of their k-pop career. These sasaengs want to keep tabs on everything the idols do; following them wherever they go, calling them during live broadcasts from blocked numbers, getting a room in the same hotel where their idols are staying to ākeep a watch on themā, sending them creepy letters, even from their own blood ( the details are so gory, trust us). This is not love, this is STALKING, which is not only a crime but also violating the privacy of the people you āclaim to loveā.
4. Delusional Claims
Loving an idol is overwhelming. You know that they love you as a fan, even as a family, but as an individual, they do not know you. Despite this fact, fans love their idols with their whole being. But the fact that makes true fans different from sasaeng fans is that they know and accept the fact that them getting romantically involved with the idols I.e., dating them. But these toxic fans believe that they are the husbands/wives of the idols and would go to any lengths to fulfill their own selfish wishes. These fans are honestly, delusional and very very invasive.
5. Posting Illegal and Intrusive content
Clicking pictures and recording clips of your idols when they are in a public setting or even when they are performing or at fan meetings is obvious and okay. Everyone needs a memento of one of the best experiences. But getting images that are too personal, explicit, and violating, are basically disregarding the idolās personal space and their own privacy. This is shameful and disgusting. Invading your idolās privacy, and saying that it is āloveā is purely hypocritical. And posting this illegally is like displaying your idolās most personal details for the world to see. This isā¦ā¦ absolutely unacceptable.
See, we do not say that you should not love them, but to go on extreme levels is not something you should do. Loving them from a distance or within limits is okay, but crossing them is not you should do. We should take care and remember that they are human first, celebrities later. They have their own life, personal place, dignity, and their own space. We should learn to respect them. Their mental health matters too.