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K-pop stars take stern action against fans' extravagant behaviors

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On the left is Yerin of GFriend / Korea Times photo file
On the left is Yerin of GFriend / Korea Times photo file

By Kim Jae-heun

K-pop stars are suffering from their fans' bad behavior. Many stars had ignored such rudeness in the past but they are now deciding to take legal action on the issue.


Popular singer-songwriter IU said she will sue a man who made sexual remarks about her on YouTube recently, claiming to be her fan. Although the male fan posted an apology, IU said that she will not halt the suit.

Fans give a hard time to their idols at meet-and-greets as well.

K-pop girl group GFriend recently caught a man videotaping the members with a hidden camera attached to his glasses. Band member Yerin realized the fan was secretly recording them and notified an agency official immediately.

The agency announced it has identified the man and will limit his participation in GFriend's future fan meeting events.

New idol group Pristin also became the target of an obsessive fan at a recent fan meeting held at Mokdong Youth Center in Yangcheon-gu, southwestern Seoul, Sunday.

An anonymous man said he won the lottery to join the girl group's meeting and posted on an online community that he would confess his love to Chinese member Kyulkyung with a sketchbook full of skull drawings and messages of affection.

Pristin's agency caught the person at the event as he was opening the sketchbook.

"The girl band's manager took away the sketchbook instantly, so we did not have a huge problem," the agency official said. "Other fans told us about the man and our guards observed his behavior."

Some entertainment companies are asking fans to be respectful of their favorite bands at meetings and to avoid touching singers or swearing at them. Agencies have also asked fans not to video or record them when receiving autographs.

An entertainment insider said fans have asked to ink marriage registration forms, sent condoms to girl group members as gifts and shouted curses at singers.

In 2006, singer U-Know Yunho was hospitalized after drinking a vitamin drink that he received from a female fan. She had added glue to the drink.

Kim Jae-heun jhkim@koreatimes.co.kr


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