K-pop artistes’ fight against ‘stans’

For the love of RM: A man walking past a mural depicting RM, a member of K-pop group BTS, in Goyang, northwest of Seoul. — AFP

For some 20 years, K-pop artiste Kim Jae-joong has been hounded by fans stalking him to get a sneak peek into his private life.

A while ago, Kim decided to stand up for himself and take legal measures against “sasaeng” fans – industry slang referring to fans who invade an artiste’s private life, often exhibiting problematic and obsessive behaviour.