You may have encountered the term 'sasaeng' tossed around if you have been in K-pop for quite a while.
In South Korean culture, a sasaeng, or sasaeng fan, is an obsessive fan who stalks or engages in other behavior, creating an invasion of a Korean idol or other public figures' privacy.
Sasaengs ignore the personal rights of a famous person. They tend to harass their idols or even tail them on their flights or hotel rooms. Sasaengs do this to get their idols' attention, believing that it is their way of showing affection and support.
Being a saesang is not limited to ordinary fans, as the following celebrities have been exposed as saesangs to other popular idols as well:
Pink Lace's Dahyun
Dahyun was a trainee who was about to debut with Pink Lace in 2015.
People on social media had discovered that Dahyun was a sasaeng fan, obsessing with EXO's Sehun. Fans of EXO exposed various evidence and snapshots of her many comments on Instagram.
Dahyun was commenting on Sehun's Instagram, asking for his support for Pink Lace's debut. She also revealed her eagerness to meet him and give him her group's CD once she debuts.
Social media users also discovered that she always mentions and tags Sehun and other EXO members on her photo updates.
After the incident, Dahyun deleted her Instagram account, and nobody knows what happened to her or Pink Lace.
EX- GLAM Member Trinity
GLAM was a Big Hit Entertainment female group that debuted in 2012. Despite their considerable success, the group eventually disbanded after a series of scandals, including Trinity's.
People on social media found out that Trinity was Super Junior's Leeteuk sasaeng. She was caught making false statements, telling the public that she was the daughter of a broadcasting company's CEO, to enter into Super Junior's conference rooms.
Even Super Junior members knew who Trinity was because of this fiasco. It was then reported that Trinity left GLAM for personal purposes in 2012.
Diamond Zhang
Diamond was the winner of the third season of The Voice of China.
She started her career in 2013 by debuting in a K-pop girl band under Haeun Entertainment called Sunny Days. However, she left in the group in 2014.
When her fame began to grow, people began to dig into her old days. People then started accusing Diamond of being a saesang fan of EXO.
One of her most drastic acts was hanging with a bunch of friends outside EXO's apartment for two days and one night to see the members.
However, even after people found out, Diamond Zhang still excelled in her career in China, performing soundtracks for film and series.
She recently sang the Mandarin cover of "A Whole New World" for the live-action Aladdin film.