Dark news hit the internet on June 24 as global K-pop girl group NewJeans was targeted with a death threat ahead of their Japan debut from June 26 to June 27! We cover what happened, how Netizens responded, and discuss why this is happening to K-pop idols all over the industry!
Shocking news hit Bunnies (the official fandom name for NewJeans) on June 24, 2024, as a photo of a kitchen knife with the caption "I'm going to give each one a stab when they get off their van," circulated a popular online community forum. The post was titled "I bought this to use at the NewJeans concert." NewJeans is scheduled to appear for their first two-day fan meeting called "Bunnies Camp 2024 Tokyo Dome" from June 26 - 27 for their Japanese debut.
It has been confirmed that the photo had been copied and pasted from an online shopping site selling Japanese kitchen knives. It is still unknown whether the author had any real intent to commit the crime, but regardless of the intent, making the threat constitutes a crime. Bunnies and other K-pop fans reported that the post be taken down and notified NewJeans' agency, ADOR.
This isn't the first time!
Unfortunately, K-pop idols receive threats all the time. This specific incident that involved NewJeans portrays certain K-pop fans in a negative light. But why does this keep on happening? The phrase "sasaeng" or "sasaeng fan" (사생팬) is the South Korean term for "obsessive fan who acts in ways that invade the privacy of K-pop idols, drama actors, or other public figures in the entertainment industry." (Wikipedia) These fans feel the need to "stand out" from other fans by stalking, trying to comment on private chats, or taking photos of idols and other popular entertainment figures. Physical abuse is also a "sasaeng" act as a sasaeng fan reportedly slapped K-pop idol Yoochun of the group JYJ just so they could be remembered!
However, we have to say that this type of "anti-fan" behavior is not only secluded to K-pop fans as sports fans and Western artists and actors also receive the same type of threats. Maybe because K-pop is becoming more global that it has gained interest from a global point-of-view that these incidents are becoming more frequent. What are your thoughts? Comment below!
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