Fans’ parasocial relationships with their favourite K-pop idols can take a dark turn and result in dangerous and disturbing incidents.
There have been reports of multiple cases involving idols being victims of stalking, harassment and even break-ins, which are carried out by sasaengs – a South Korean term for overly obsessive fans who engage in behaviours that invade celebrities’ privacy.
In June, Xportsnews reported that BTS member Jeon Jungkook faced a stalking incident on the day of his military discharge.
According to the Yongsan police station in Seoul, a woman in her 30s was arrested for attempting to enter Jeon’s home by repeatedly trying to key in the password at his front door.
During questioning, she said she flew to South Korea from China just to see Jeon after his return.
In November 2024, The Straits Times reported that IST Entertainment, home to K-pop group The Boyz, stated on its fan-cafe site that member Kim Sunwoo was ambushed on his way home by a sasaeng hiding in the emergency stairway of the building where he and his group members live.
The sasaeng kept attacking him and a staff member who was trying to hold her down as she attempted to run away.
She was eventually caught and received charges of trespassing and assault.
The company also disclosed that The Boyz have been subjected to regular unsolicited visits from sasaengs to locations the group frequents, including the agency, hair salons, their residence, airports and flights.
They stated that they have even found a GPS tracker attached to The Boyz’s vehicles and intentional damage to the tyres of another vehicle.
Former member of TVXQ Kim Jaejoong revealed on his YouTube talk show Jaefriends about his experiences with sasaeng behaviours throughout his 20-year career.
He shared that a sasaeng once broke into his house and kissed him while he was sleeping, and another time, he got a text displaying a photo of his back.
These sasaengs would follow him everywhere and even wait for him at home.
Jaejoong says he “suffered to death” back then and could only feel happy when the sasaengs disappeared.
While parasocial relationships can be positive, these incidents show how damaging they become once fans overstep boundaries.
Fans need to respect the idols and recognise the differences between healthy admiration and harmful obsession.
