Reporters uncover the dark truth behind the daily activities of sasaeng fans

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

Sasaeng fans have always been at the center of controversy in K-Pop culture, especially with the recent scandals involving JYJ. Reporters set out to get a deeper glimpse into just what makes up a sasaeng fan and what drives them to do the things they do.

On March 14th, reporters arrived in front of a beauty salon in Cheongdamdong, Seoul, a place that would normally be bustling with the extremest of sasaeng fans hoping to catch their favorite stars as they head out to work. The place was mostly empty, however, with the recent controversies with JYJ coming to light in the media.

One sasaeng fan named ‘Kim‘ (18) who was lingering in front of the salon expressed, “Ever since the controversy, everyone’s been trying to stay on the down low. However, we can never stop.”

Reporters also met with four sasaeng fans after circling the salons in four popular areas that celebrities frequent and sat down with them to dig deeper.


They revealed, “Popular stars have 500 to 1,000 sasaeng fans. Our names have to remain anonymous because if other sasaengs find out that we met with the media, we will be outcast.”

One sasaeng was spotted outside of an entertainment agency looking inside a van to check if a manager was in there. Immediately, she took out her phone and KakaoTalked her other sasaeng friends, alerting them of the discovery.

–

Kim (18) revealed that up until elementary school, she just watched the TV performances of her favorite stars. She bought their albums and joined their fanclubs, but was unfortunately an outcast in her own school, which led her to delve further and further into the fanclubs.

She later got into writing fanfiction about sasaengs falling in love with idols, sometimes even believing the stories to be real in delusion. In junior high school, she chased her idol down in a taxi for the first time, which was the start of her sasaeng activities.

She stated, “We have fun just with ourselves. As long as there is oppa, we believe that we are one.”

–

Jung (16) has been a sasaeng for five years. The areas she frequents are her idols’ dorm, practice room, and salon. Because she’s been in the culture for so long, she already has a group that she hangs out with and shares information through KakaoTalk. Her sasaeng friends immediately gather upon hearing her alerts.

Despite moving as a group, there’s fierce competition within the group for special and exclusive photos they take of their oppas. “We check each others’ blogs out and look at their pictures and blog entries. The more exclusives there are, the more views you get, so there’s a lot of competition.”

–

Lee (15) spends about $1,000 USD a month on her sasaeng activities alone, which mostly goes into paying for the taxis that chase her oppas down.

Renting out a sasaeng taxi for a day costs $300 USD. She saves money by working part time at convenience stores and comic book rental stores, as well as saving $500 USD that would normally go into her after school classes.

She revealed, “I heard that there is also a girl that prostitutes herself to make money for her sasaeng activities.”

Sasaeng fans usually sleep or spend the night at PC rooms. Some will even be homeless during the summer and skip out on school. Extreme sasaeng fans go as far as to drop out of school completely.

–

The sad reality is that there are taxi services, as mentioned above, catering specifically for sasaeng fans. These special taxis will speed as much as 200 km/h to chase after vans that idols ride.

Sasaeng taxis can be found waiting around outside of celebrity dorms or broadcast halls to catch newbie and desperate fans.

Kim (37), a sasaeng taxi driver of four years, revealed, “I charge $30 USD per hour. It’s hard to stop because you can make a lot of money out of it. I take sasaengs about two days out of the week.”

Other drivers charge $500 USD for nine hours of service.

Kim is already a favorite amongst some fans and many have been using his services for years. Some taxi drivers will actually text newbie sasaengs the whereabouts of their idols to get them to take their service.



The fans were then asked about the hatred and criticism they’ve been receiving since the scandal with JYJ came to light in the media.

Park (18) replied, “There are rules even amongst ourselves that we must keep. The fan that tried to kiss oppa broke one of our rules. I heard that that particular fan was assaulted by other sasaengs for breaking the rule.”

Park also revealed that she felt regretful about the negative view people had of people like her. “There is no way that oppas can be where they are now just by singing and dancing. We give them the support they need to get popular. Singers are celebrities. This is how they make money.”

–

As if all of this wasn’t already hard to believe, there are actual companies that fans can hire to spy on and watch over their oppas’ every activity all day.

One official of such a company revealed, “Sasaeng fans are stalkers. They’re not normal, they’ve mentioned killing someone, and even themselves. Some even ask us to find out what color clothes their idols wear to bed.”

One sasaeng even offered $100,000 USD if the company could steal her idol’s underwear.


source:
akp
oh my news + joongang via naver

i have no words for this fuckery.

Comments

[luvey.livejournal.com]

oh good someone posted it. i put the link and highlighted a few points in the other post about idols and sasaengs.
although it is sad the reason why this is all coming to light, i'm happy that at least it is. maybe, just maybe something can be done. obviously these girls know what they are doing are wrong, IF they are laying low due to the recent publicity on the issue.

[steelsigns.livejournal.com]

Their lying low just screams "I'm only doing this because someone got caught and not because I feel sorry for what I did" And it's worse that they know it's wrong, don't you think? Reading their interviews reminded me of those serial killers in Criminal Minds, like you know, they get caught and when they get interrogated, their tone is all "Yes, I KNOW what I'm doing is wrong. But I am going to keep doing it because I ENJOY it." with no remorse whatsoever.

Creepy.

[dipropylene]

This is so fucked up...

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

there’s a lot of competition
So this is a game to them.
Stay classy

“There is no way that oppas can be where they are now just by singing and dancing. We give them the support they need to get popular. Singers are celebrities. This is how they make money.”
GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURL NO
Just no. They're not at your disposal. And they have a lot of regular and mentally stable fans that don't to the shit you do

[iusta-rum.livejournal.com]

Who they think they are!!
Mentally stable fans are more than those....stalkers!!!

[sai12.livejournal.com]

$100k for some used panties? Omg the things I could do with $100k

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking shoes, among other things

[ruuuulovesyou.livejournal.com]

i have no words for this fuckery.
yes.

feels good to see another pov about this whole sasaeng tho.
hope that sometime in the near future celebs and ppl working with them can have the privacy and rights that they should have.
it's really negative publicity for hallyu and s. korea, shouldn't the gvmt be doing something about it?
oh wells life goes on....i guess?

[turdferguson.livejournal.com]

smh. give a person a way to profit off a sick and twisted situation, of course they're not gonna stop.

[phililen3.livejournal.com]

There is no way that oppas can be where they are now just by singing and dancing. We give them the support they need to get popular. Singers are celebrities. This is how they make money

Buying a CD and going to a concert is supporting, what these guys do is not supporting their celebs, what they are doing is harming them

One official of such a company revealed, “Sasaeng fans are stalkers. They’re not normal, they’ve mentioned killing someone, and even themselves. Some even ask us to find out what color clothes their idols wear to bed.”

You know they are stalkers yet you take them on anyways...GREEDY BASTARDS. If you know someone is a nut, you don't tatke them on. Period.

[valieleen.livejournal.com]

“There is no way that oppas can be where they are now just by singing and dancing. We give them the support they need to get popular. Singers are celebrities. This is how they make money.”

How about no? They are completely delusional.

[erbalurbal.livejournal.com]

They work multiple jobs so they can stalk their oppas? Imagine how much they could achieve if they had passion for something that will contribute to their future? These girls are hardcore, it takes a lot for me to buy a CD so I don't understand wanting to ruin my life just to see oppas at the hair salon.

“We check each others’ blogs out and look at their pictures and blog entries. The more exclusives there are, the more views you get, so there’s a lot of competition.”

So they stalk each other too?

[istalkalert.livejournal.com]

seems like it.

[the-erotomanic.livejournal.com]

Kim (18) revealed that up until elementary school, she just watched the TV performances of her favorite stars. She bought their albums and joined their fanclubs, but was unfortunately an outcast in her own school, which led her to delve further and further into the fanclubs.

these people just need friends.

[pentrue.livejournal.com]

Agree. That and most exhibit signs of mental instability and illness. Urinating and smearing faeces?? That screams of mental health problems.

[istalkalert.livejournal.com]

WOW. WDF.
This is just pure.... crazy and weird.
I think they need some help.....


OT but I got KakaoTalk XD

[kanbinayume.livejournal.com]

How is it? I want to get kakaotalk, but I need to get a smart phone first.

[sirenasfun.livejournal.com]

“There is no way that oppas can be where they are now just by singing and dancing. We give them the support they need to get popular. Singers are celebrities. This is how they make money.”


I could've sworn they made money by cds and merchandise, but w/e, let's just throw logic right out the window.

[istalkalert.livejournal.com]

I think these sasaeng fans needs to send their money to their oppas, if they want their oppas to earn more money.
Heck, I'm sure SME artists needs those moneyyyy.

[cynth84.livejournal.com]

[shintotchi.livejournal.com]

A+ Colin Farrell in my omona

[brianathebard.livejournal.com]

my only question is why do the police spend an inordinate amount of time researching draft-dodging when they should be putting these people in jail. do people never call the police? are there no restraining orders?

[catscomics.livejournal.com]

the girls will all say they didn't do anything instead they might even tell the police her oppas or the manager has done something to her. when there are 500 girls vs 1 guy I don't think the police will do anything, let alone the fact that they most probably will think "it's just some little girls playing around why so serious" vs "a girl got hit / harassed by a guy" so they will arrest the manager instead....

[goddess1819.livejournal.com]

Stalkers to the highest degree. I just can't with them.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

1,000 sasaeng, imagine the horror. Like something out of a Zombie movie tbh.

[katzsong.livejournal.com]

and the celebs needs at least 500 well trained bodyguards to counter that. Hmmm...I don't think they're THAT rich :3

[honeebs.livejournal.com]

Yup sick fucks.
You guys are not fans stop thinking you are. I hate knowing the idols I like and enjoy from a far have to look at or deal with these fucks everyday waiting like wild dogs for a scrap.
Y'all are disgusting, waste of a meatsuit IMO!

[fizzzzzzzzzzz.livejournal.com]

Not surprised honestly. But Im kinda pissed at how some have made a profit out it.

(http://media.photobucket.com/image/shake head gif/Greenstarz/fun gif/SPNdeepbreath.gif?o=7)

[nissy-angel.livejournal.com]

:O
I miss that show especially sam.

[lcbarnes.livejournal.com]

There is a level a of delusion that is beyond disturbing. Jesus help them. They need some sense shook into them. There needs to be some kind of counseling or mental health help. This behavior is not healthy at all. Anytime you are SELLING YOUR BODY to do anything is outrageous. This is too much

[luvey.livejournal.com]

There is a level a of delusion that is beyond disturbing.

this.

[sichyo.livejournal.com]

:/ Those kids need help, really. "Jung (16) has been a sasaeng for five years." So she's been a sasaeng since 11 yo? Or more like 10 in western age?! o__o

Funny how SNSD's Top Secret start playing as I read this article. I've heard that the song was about stalker fans, so I went to see the lyrics and it's indeed quite fitting to the whole cray cray sasaengs situation. It even has this line "if you fearlessly try to know it all, you'll get hurt." Fitting lyrics is fitting...

[luvey.livejournal.com]

although it won't surprise me that a bunch of them are teens, the ones who were DBSK stalkers would be adults now. i'm curious how many are stilled involved in this disturbing lifestyle.

[underthepines.livejournal.com]

I feel so, so, so terrible for these girls/boys. It's easy to get sucked into fandom (I was a Hottest during the Jay scandal, hanging around with people with much more extreme views than mine, and next thing I knew I was adopting these views, too, even though I'd initially thought them dumb and could still see how ridiculous they were), and these are probably, for the most part, just really, really, really extreme cases of that same thing. Fandom, to whatever degree you're involved, can be an escape, but soon it becomes sasaeng fans' entire lives, and that's tragic. The companies that encourage and cater to this behavior have to stop it, idols need to be better legally protected (NOT just by their entertainment company, who may very well think a certain amount of stalking is good for business or necessary to popularity), and, most importantly, the sasaengs themselves need to, for lack of a more sensitive way of wording this, get therapy for this, either of their own accord or by mandate. And they should not necessarily be harshly punished; I think many of them are probably not terrible people and are caught up in something that they may not realize the scope of and may have preexisting or have developed mental health problems that should be dealt with first and foremost.

This whole thing makes me indescribably sad. I really, really hope that things change. Soon.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

The Big Companies won't get involved, behind doors who knows how the companies themsleves treat these guys in the first place. Not to mention companies want sasaengs buying thousand of copies of their albums. The cycle will continue.

[ladykaoz.livejournal.com]

I believe the right term to describe sasaengs is: batshit crazy.

[istalkalert.livejournal.com]

IA.

[oulan.livejournal.com]

Used underwear. No fucking way. What would you even do with it?

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Talk to it, Smell it, Walk in the park with it, Make it dinner, Watch TV with it , Make love to it. Normal stuff like that.

[g-lovesbb.livejournal.com]

She revealed, “I heard that there is also a girl that prostitutes herself to make money for her sasaeng activities.”
- WOW, i'm speechless

[seines.livejournal.com]

shouldn't that merit them more pity? they're hopeless :/