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It has been suggested that this article be merged with K-Pop. (Discuss) Proposed since March 2015.

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Korean Pop Music, also known as K-pop, has emerged as a strong global phenomenon. People who devote themselves to Korean music stars or celebrities are called K-pop fans (also known as K-poppers); usually teenagers between the age of 11 to 18. It is not strange to find fans over the age of 18, though.

A K-pop fan shows admiration (often closely bordering on obsession) towards his or her favorite celebrity. They have the tendency to do things slightly beyond what a normal fan would do. Apart from buying their favourite artist CD, posters and attending concerts; they would buy various merchandise products with their favorite artists. They are widely seen on social networking sites: as with ardent fans in other countries and across other genres, they create various Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram accounts dedicated to their Korean idols.

Sasaeng Fans

Stalker-like-fans, which are also known as abnormal supporters, are being called “Fans” as they have done something too exaggerated or even illegal to their idols. They are mostly female or high-school students. Managers of the Korean stars have spoken to Korean media, revealing that the popular stars own between 500 to 1000 sasaeng fans. The most common activities sasaeng fans engage in include following their idols’ cars everywhere, taking various secret pictures, and disturbing their private lives by sneaking into their living areas. Even the idols themselves have told the press that sasaeng fans have made them feel as though they were living in a jail as they were being watched and followed all the time. Block B, a Korean boyband, has asked sasaeng fans to stop visiting their dorm. One of the extreme case of showing appreciation and love to their idols is by writing letters using the menstrual blood and attaching pubic hair.

What have they done for the celebrities?

NOTHING

The behaviors of K-pop fans in Korea and China

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Korea

Present dedications: Fan-girls in Korea tend to love the idea of making large or even larger posters for their favourite idols for their birthday or anniversary presents, hanging all over the subway station ( mainly in Myeongdong Station ) or even on the bus advertisement. Furthermore, some die-hearted fans in Korea would always chase after their idols. Even though they are mostly high school girls or even younger, they would wait outside the companies’ building just to take pictures with the celebrities. As long as they can see their idols’ face or even receive a wink from them, they will scream very passionately. This act can be specified as a kind of worship rather than simply loving their music and images.

China

Some fans from China are also overly addicted to their Korean idols, and engaged in exaggerated and obsessive behaviors. For instance, on the 25th Golden Disk Awards in 2010, fans of Super Junior raised money to make a cup which was made up of real gold after their idol lost in the award. The cup costs over hundred million Renminbi dollars. This is regarded to be an obsessive behavior.

Dedication

K-pop fans are not only attracted to an idol's music, but an idol's appearance and personality as well. Idols are ranked at the fans’ top list. They put the K-pop stars in the first priority as they believe that they are their motivations. Fans have mentioned that their idols can provide emotional support, believing their idols can help them at their back and every move they make, they will follow like those are the guides as “they are likely to listen to the comments and influence of a celebrity than their parents” (Theodosiou, 2012)

Without a doubt, management companies also create images in an attempt to gain and retain fans. Many fans believe that their idols are perfect and they would follow their trends or whatever they do in order to show their support. The fans believe their strengths come from their respective idols, and they would like to show love and appreciation to them by using different ways, such as attending concerts or fan meetings. However, there are some fans who attempt to follow these idols everywhere. Consequently, management teams of these celebrities hire security guards to accompany them when they have public events. There have been a few cases of security guards using force against K-pop fans as a result of their harmful actions in attempting to get closer to the idols.

There is another reason why teens worship their idols. Self recognition is an issue which all teens would face. To overcome the problem, they will fill their emotional vacuum through worshiping idols. “Celebrity worshiping could thus have a prevalent influence on shaping their followers’ values, attitudes and behaviors”.

Consequences

Worshipping idols have both positive and negative effects. However, for those who are overly- attached and addicted to the Korean stars are considered to have great impacts on their personal developments in different perspectives.

Academic development

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These obsessive fans have no idea of planning their academic schedule. Most of them have bad time management skills and allocate nearly all of their time on chasing the idols. With less time to study and more time to worship their idols, they are very likely to fall behind the learning progress and can hardly catch up with new knowledge.

Financial management

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Buying posters, making banners and gifts to their beloved stars are likely to impose financial burden on the overly-attached fans. They may even follow the idols closely by taking the same flight with them. To be more concrete, they are just the shadows of the idols and following them without being limited by the boundaries. Also, the concert tickets which cost nearly $1000 per person are another huge expenses. Most teenagers are not mature enough and do not have the ability to earn money. They simply spend the money earned by their parents which may pose serious financial burden to their family. Without clear understanding on financial management, they may become materialistic.

Materialistic value

Because i can

References

1. Chen, Jasmine (2013, Nov 22). The Differences between Sasaeng Fans and Normal Fans. Retrieved from http://exploringkpop.blogspot.hk/2013_11_01_archive.html
2. Soh, Elizabeth (2012, Aug 2). “Sasaeng Stalkers” (Part 1): K-pop fans turn to blood, poison for attention. Retrieved from https://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/blogs/singapore-showbiz/sasaeng-groupies-gone-wild-part-1-k-fans-141105992.html
3. KoreaBoo (2014, Oct 21). Block B pleads to sasaeng fans to stop visiting their dorm. Retrieved from http://www.koreaboo.com/trending/trending-block-b-pleads-sasaeng-fans-stop-visiting-dorm/
4. EXO Love (2013, Aug 16). EXO reveals the hardship of having Sasaeng fans. Retrieved from http://exo-love.com/exo-reveals-the-hardship-of-having-sasaeng-fans/
5. Donna (2013, May 28).10 Craziest Things that Fans Did for their Idols. Retrieved from http://www.oddee.com/item_98593.aspx
6. Theodosiou, Barbara (2012, Mar 30). Celebrity Influences and Their Negative Impact on Today's Youth. Retrieved from http://www.reneweveryday.com/blogs/addicts-mom/celebrity-influences-and-their-negative-impact-on-todays-youth/
7. Oddnessweirdness (2012, Nov 7). KPOP WTF: IDOL MANAGERS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR HITTING FANS. Retrieved from http://oddnessweirdness.blogspot.hk/2012/11/kpop-wtf-idol-managers-back-in.html
8. Schultze, Q. J., Anker, R. M., Bratt, J. D., Romanowkski, W. D., Worst, J. W. & Zuidervaart, L. (1991) Dancing in the Dark: Youth, Popular Culture, and the Electronic Media. Grand Rapids, MI: Williams B. Eerdmans.
9. Farzana, Farah (2013, Sep 8). Kpop Fans Speech. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/166412903/Kpop-Fans-Speech

• Articles to be merged from March 2015
• Misplaced Pages articles needing copy edit from December 2014
• K-pop
• Music fandom