Sasaeng

“Hi, Nayeon, as you can see here I am near your apartment here in Cheongdam-dong, but sadly the stairways of the Apartment-Building that you live in are locked with a code.”

Source photo by thebiaslist

Imagine if a stranger completely unknown to you said those words as your house is mere meters from where he stands, knowing that the only thing separating you and him is just a lift, a door, and a security code. For some Kpop idols, such is more reality than it is a nightmare.

It was on the 1st November precisely two years ago that Josh, a fan of Twice’s Nayeon, recorded himself saying such a thing and posted it in his YouTube channel, the same person that in 2020 was charged by the Seoul Central District Court under the report of JYP Entertainment.

Josh, a German famously known by his social media name ‘Josh1994’ had become the talk of the town of Seoul after his attempt confronting Nayeon during her flight from Tokyo to Seoul which turned him into the headlines for that day.

Josh is one amongst many that are considered by the Kpop fandom as sasaeng, a group of fans turned fanatics that will do everything in order to be noticed by their idols. Derived from the mix of “private” (sa) and “life” (saeng), these sasaeng often enter their idol’s life by being in close proximity, calling their phone numbers, or even breaking into their residences. These efforts range from interrupting phone calls all the way to threatening the lives of the idols.

An example of the desperate acts done by sasaeng is when one was trying to get close to Kim Heechul in 2006 that resulted in a six car pile-up. This accident left Heechul with a broken leg that resulted in him unable to dance, thus ending his career as a singer and performer in his band, Super Junior.

Source photo by celebrity.okezone

In one case, a sasaeng was wild enough to put her menstrual blood as ink for her letter to Ok Taek-yeon, a member of 2PM. In the letter, she proclaimed her love and support towards Ok Taek-yeon, but this letter was not accepted by other fans, deeming that she’d gone too far by doing so.

Though, certainly nothing will top Yunho’s superglue case. Yunho is a member of TVXQ when an alleged fan laced his orange juice with superglue, not only this incident threatened his life, but also caused Yunho significant trauma. It was said that after drinking it, he felt nauseous and began coughing out blood, to which he was rushed to the hospital. Fortunately, he survived, yet the trauma caused by the accident left him unable to drink orange juice. It took Yunho countless amounts of training, placing ten bottles of the same orange juice and forcing himself to open and drink it to overcome his fear. Now, Yunho is able to drink, even gulping it down without hesitation.

It is of course, a good thing to show your support towards your idols, but pay in mind that they’re also people with their own private lives and relationships. So don’t harm or harass them in any way!