On Monday, January 22, Kim Jaejoong vented out about his sasaeng fans’ persistent stalking.
Through his personal Instagram account, the singer expressed his frustration about the obsessive behavior of these so-called stalker fans. For those who don’t know, sasaeng is a K-pop slang term used to refer to hardcore supporters who invade the artists’ personal space and private lives.
In a series of posts, the veteran idol exposed clips of “sasaeng taxis” fans’ use to stalk him. In his translated caption, Jaejoong wrote: “The drivers follow me relentlessly, saying that they do have to do what the passengers tell them to do.”
[jj_1986_jj IG story]#김재중 #KIMJAEJOONG #ジェジュン #金在中 pic.twitter.com/Rkdg6QHvgb
— JAEMORIZE (@jaemorize126) January 22, 2024
[jj_1986_jj IG story]#김재중 #KIMJAEJOONG #ジェジュン #金在中 pic.twitter.com/IVmXHpWcmU
— JAEMORIZE (@jaemorize126) January 22, 2024
In a detailed explanation, Jaejoong disclosed that these drivers profit off him by causing him emotional distress. He said that these “sasaeng taxis” wait at every section and coordinate with one another through radio, as if it was a mission to know his whereabouts.
According to the 37-year old singer, he still vividly recalls the frightening words of these sasaengs claiming that they will visit the wedding venue once Jaejoong gets married.
Furthermore, the former TVXQ member also revealed that it has been 20 years since he had these stalker fans. Since making his debut in 2004, Jaejoong shared that he had several unfortunate experiences with sasaengs. At one point, he disclosed, he even had to check the people behind him when eating, to ensure no one was trailing him.
After having enough of the emotional distress brought upon by these incidents, the idol asked the stalkers to stop this disturbing behavior. “It’s been 20 years. Let’s put an end to this,” he said.
Jaejoong warns against sasaeng taxis harassing him https://t.co/TCIHSXycUB pic.twitter.com/T8eLe0nF5d
— Netizen Buzz (@netizenbuzz) January 23, 2024
Moreover, the singer also sent a warning to these sasaengs that he has obtained “footage” of their activities and will let law punish these offenders.
Aside from Jaejoong, other celebrities speak out against stalker fans
Aside from his personal experience, the idol also lamented on how it can be a common behavior among fans in the K-pop industry. With this, Jaejoong wished that none of his hoobaes or juniors would get to experience the disturbing practices of these obsessive fans.
Although Jaejoong courageously spoke against his stalkers and hoped no other celebrity goes through the same trouble, the sasaeng behavior is apparently a common problem within the Korean entertainment community.
As such, the harassed idols and actors are then prompted to take the necessary legal measures
Recently, the notorious stalker of Apink’s Jeong Eunji was sentenced to prison after creeping up on the singer-actress since 2020.
Moreover, EXO members Baekhyun and Sehun also conveyed their annoyance towards these sasaeng acts. For instance, Baekhyun revealed that he was once visited by a sasaeng in his vocal lesson classes. Meanwhile, Sehun said that he approximately gets about 100 calls per day.
Following the numerous instances of celebrities getting stalked, agencies have promised to take the appropriate actions to protect their artists without showing leniency to the perpetrators.
Featured image: INKODE Entertainment releases new company profile photos of Jaejoong. Credit: Twitter/Kim Jaejoong