Stalker fans, or ‘sasaeng’, continue to plague South Korean entertainment landscape

SEOUL – The darker side of fame continues to haunt stars, as the South Korean entertainment scene was recently rocked by a series of incidents involving “sasaeng” – obsessive fans who engage in behaviours that invade the privacy of celebrities, including stalking.

IST Entertainment, home to the popular K-pop group The Boyz, revealed on its fan-cafe site on Nov 14 that member Sunwoo was ambushed as he was returning home by a sasaeng fan hiding in the emergency stairwell of the building where the group members live.

“During the process of restraining the sasaeng fan, who was attempting to flee, (Sunwoo and a staff member) were repeatedly assaulted. The individual has been arrested as an offender on charges of trespassing and assault, and a police investigation is currently under way,” the agency reported.

It also disclosed that The Boyz have been facing repeated unauthorised visits from sasaeng fans to places where the group frequents, such as the agency, hair salons and their home, as well as airports and flights. It added that it recently discovered a GPS tracker attached to The Boyz’s vehicle and deliberate damage to another vehicle’s tyres.

According to IST Entertainment, both incidents involving the group’s vehicles have been reported to the police as part of its continued efforts to protect the group.

South Korean singer-actor Kim Jae-joong was also recently the target of a sasaeng fan, who posted fabricated photos on social media falsely suggesting that Kim was in a romantic relationship with the individual.

On Nov 13, Kim, 38, addressed the issue through his fan platform, Fromm, clarifying that the photos had been heavily edited and that the rumours about him having a relationship with the account owner were completely false.

“I’ve already found out their name and resident registration number, and I’ve also received photos of their face. I remember who they are,” Kim said through Fromm.

Recent reports indicate that a celebrity who died last week had been subjected to harassment by sasaeng activities.

South Korean actor Song Jae-rim, 39 – known for his roles in hit dramas such as The Moon Embracing The Sun (2012), Two Weeks (2013) and Queen Woo (2024) – was

found dead at his home in Seoul on Nov 12

. While his family has not revealed the cause of death, police reported no signs of foul play and found a document believed to be a suicide note at the scene.

In the aftermath of his death, allegations emerged that Song had been harassed for more than a year by a Japanese sasaeng fan.

The individual reportedly used his or her account on social media platform X to post personal photos of Song and his acquaintances, as well as made malicious comments such as, “Did the gifts from fans become offerings to (your acquaintance)?” and “Can your acting skills hide your despicable true nature?”

The sasaeng fan also allegedly spread personal information regarding Song and his acquaintances online. Shortly after the accusations gained traction following Song’s demise, the fan in question deleted the X account.

Kim, who has been the target of sasaeng attacks throughout his 20-year career, said in

a YouTube interview in July

that even if a perpetrator has been punished, the celebrity still lives in fear of retaliation.

“Being stalked was so painful that I felt like I wanted to die,” he said.

“What’s even scarier is that even if they serve their sentence and are released, it’s still a problem. You have to leave the area because you’re afraid of retaliation. What is this, really?” he added. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK