K-pop boy group 8Turn conducts a fan signing event at Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok, Thailand, May 3. Courtesy of MNH Entertainment

In the world of K-pop fandom, the dedication to meeting idols often comes at a high cost.

Shin Su-jin (pseudonym), a 20-something office worker and fan of a popular boy group, spent approximately 50 million won ($36,500) last year on attending their fan meetings.

This expenditure represents a significant portion of her income, mostly funneled into purchasing hundreds of the same CDs, between 150 and 200 copies per event, to ensure a spot at these signings. Each of these bulk purchases costs her approximately 3 million won.

"I'm not sure what the exact cut-off point is for attending a fan signing, but I know I need to spend over 3 million won to feel secure," Shin said, noting that the threshold has risen as the number of available spots at these events has decreased.

Kim Chae-rin (pseudonym), another young office worker, expressed an irresistible urge to continue attending these events, driven by brief personal interactions with the group's members.

"After talking to my favorite members a few times, I feel like they might remember me, which makes me want to go back even more."

Despite spending 2 to 3 million won each time, the reality of not making the cut brings a harsh wake-up call, yet the hope of success lures her back. However, the time allotted for fans to interact with group members at these events is typically only about 1 to 3 minutes.

A photo of Seventeen's new albums discarded on the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo, posted by a Japanese user on social media platform X on April 30. Captured from X

More albums bought, the better the treatment

The controversial practices of "random photocard sales" and "album pushing" in the K-pop industry have come under scrutiny again following remarks by Min Hee-jin, CEO of Adore, the agency for girl group NewJeans, amid a dispute with parent company HYBE.

At a press conference on April 25, Min criticized these practices by saying, "The increase in sales through random photocards and album pushing shifts the burden onto fans, and it's exhausting for artists to keep up with fan signings."

She added that the current state of the album market is deeply flawed, a sentiment echoed by K-pop consumers who showed their support.

Album pushing involves record labels overstocking retailers with albums, which are then gradually sold through events like fan signings and video calls.

Retailers offer a single entry to a drawing for each album purchased during a specific period, with only 30 to 100 people selected to participate in these events.

Despite claims that the selection is random, there is a common perception among industry insiders and fans that those who buy more albums are more likely to win.

The initial surge in sales, often promoted as "first-week sales of xx hundred thousand," boosts publicity. It was revealed that one girl group, which set a record with several hundred thousand initial sales last year, held up to 90 fan signings and video call events with fans during that period.

Albums purchased by a K-pop fan for a fan signing entry, with dozens of the same type bought. Except for one "collector's item," the rest are intended for resale or free distribution, but few are willing to take them, leading to most being discarded. Courtesy of unidentified reader

Rising entry thresholds for K-pop fan events

The competitive nature of fan meetings and video calls, which are frequently used as part of marketing strategies known as "album pushing," becomes even fiercer among popular K-pop groups.

According to industry insiders contacted by the Hankook Ilbo, the entry threshold (minimum spending requirement) for top boy groups is believed to range between 5 to 10 million won.

Information about these minimum requirements is even exchanged by fans for money.

"Even within the same group, the minimum requirement varies depending on the album, the timing and location of the event after its release, and the number of winners," Kim, the office worker, said. "After the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of winners for fan meetings decreased and the minimum requirement increased as more international fans, including those from China, joined the competition."

The issue of album pushing is seen as one of the most serious problems in the K-pop industry's marketing strategies. It is not uncommon for fans to purchase hundreds of thousands to millions of won worth of the same album. Most of those albums end up getting discarded.

"There are businesses that buy these albums in bulk at much lower prices than retail, so we usually sell them there," Kim said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.