Many stars have recently suffered damage caused by sasaeng fans and stalkers who try to get into their homes and follow them to private schedules.
On January 10th, the courts sentenced a woman in her 40s to six months in prison on stalking charges after getting arrested for visiting Rain and Kim Tae-hee’s home and pressing the doorbell many times. The female stalker was also ordered to complete 40 hours of a stalking treatment program. The court said, “The defendant is suffering from mental illness. There is a great concern about the possibility of reoffending as the defendant’s family cannot support treatment.”
Although the Stalking Punishment Act has been in effect since October 21st, 2021, stalking crimes continue to occur.
On the same day, Red Velvet fans expressed worries over the comments of a foreigner on Seulgi’s SNS account.
An Internet user, believed to be a foreigner, has been leaving comments on Seulgi’s account in awkward Korean. That person wrote, “I’m downstairs” , “The light is on” , “Seems like she’s with someone” , etc., as if they could see what Seulgi was doing. As such, fans were afraid that their stalking behaviors would create a sense of discomfort and fear for Seulgi.
Fans are encouraging each other to report it to Red Velvet’s agency SM Entertainment. They commented, “I captured the comments as evidence” , “It may be a lie, but I think the agency needs to find and confirm it to protect the artist’s privacy and give a hard warning” , “I feel unpleasant just by seeing it, Seulgi must feel very uncomfortable” , etc.
On the January 10th broadcast of Channel A’s “Groom’s Class” , Shin Seong’s mother also complained of damage caused by sasaeng fans.
Shin Seong visited his parents for the new year but couldn’t press the doorbell. He was able to enter the house only after calling his mother saying he was in front of the door. When asked for the reason she turned off the doorbell, Shin Seong’s mother said, “You fans have been asking me to open the door by ringing the doorbell days and nights these days. I’m scared” .
Apart from them, various other stars have been exposed to stalking crimes in many ways. This causes netizens to worry about celebrities not feeling safe even in their personal space and homes.
Source: Nate