What Is a Sasaeng Fan & What Motivates Them?

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Plus, the wild tactics sasaengs use to get idols’ attention

Co-authored by Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: October 1, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Sasaeng Meaning
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• Origin
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• Motivations
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• Why They're Dangerous
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• Similar Terms
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

There are many ways to describe an obsessed fan: groupie, super-fan, stan, or sasaeng. "Sasaeng" refers to obsessed K-pop fans who will do anything to get noticed by their idols. Yes, anything. In this article, we explain what sasaeng means for K-pop fans, what tactics they use, and why their obsessions often become dangerous. Strap in and scroll down to learn more!

What does “sasaeng” mean?

Sasaeng is a Korean term used to describe an obsessed fan of a celebrity, like a K-pop idol. These extreme fans, often known as sasaeng fans, will do almost anything to be noticed by their idols, including stalk them, tap their phones, trespass on their property, and break into their hotel rooms.

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Section 1 of 5:

What is a sasaeng fan?

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1. 
   A sasaeng fan is an obsessed fan who stalks their idols. Also known as sasaeng, the Korean term refers to an obsessed fan of a Korean celebrity who’s willing to do anything to get their attention, like stalk them, show up at airports uninvited to greet them, and invade their private lives. This behavior is often intrusive and crosses the line into criminal. Sasaengs can be dangerous because they’re willing to do anything to satisfy their unhealthy fixation, including:

   • Tapping their idols’ phones
   • Installing GPS trackers on their idols’ cars
   • Chasing their idols down with their cars
   • Enlisting the help of groups to track their idols’ whereabouts and schedule(s)
   • Following their idols home
   • Breaking into their idols’ property
   • Writing to idols in their own blood
   • Breaking into their idols’ hotel rooms
   • Harassing their idols’ family members
   • Waiting outside of company buildings on late nights to see their idol
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Section 2 of 5:

Where does the term “sasaeng” come from?

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1. Sasaeng is a Korean term that combines sa (private) and saeng (life). Sasaeng behavior has been going on since the 1990s when groups like H.O.T and g.o.d initially popularized K-pop, but the term wasn’t coined until afterward. Since the 2000s and 2010s (following the introduction of K-pop into the mainstream), the term has been used to refer to the obsessive stalker “fans.”

Section 3 of 5:

Sasaeng Fans’ Motivation

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1. Sasaeng fans want to be seen by their idols by any means necessary. Attending shows and large meet-ups won’t give sasaeng fans the one-on-one time they desire. So, they often resort to stalking their idols, digging into flight, travel, and personal information (like texts and DMs) so they can find any info they can use to get noticed.

   • At larger events, sasaeng fans feel like the crowd drowns out their individual presence. Their solution is to show up in the artist’s life constantly hoping it will get them noticed (and unfortunately, they’re often right).
   • Real-World Example: In 2012, one sasaeng fan slapped JYJ’s Yoochun in the face as he was on his way to the hair salon, saying he’d remember her because she slapped him.
   • Real-World Example: In 2011, a sasaeng fan attempted to kidnap Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation in the middle of a performance, grabbing her arm and attempting to pull her off stage.
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Section 4 of 5:

Why Sasaeng Fans Are Dangerous

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1. Sasaeng fans endanger the health and safety of their idols. The obsessive lengths sasaeng fans are willing to go often make them unsafe to their idols. Some fans have stalked their idols for over a decade, while others have gone as far as to slap them in the face to be noticed. Sasaengs are a K-pop idols biggest fear, and being stalked has been linked to PTSD, paranoia, and other severe traumatic mental health issues.

   • While there are anti-stalking laws in the U.S. and South Korea to combat sasaeng fans, they will still stalk their idols through social media and other online sites.
   • For some, their motivation to be seen outweighs the legal risks of being caught, making them especially dangerous.

Section 5 of 5:

Similar Slang Terms

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1. 
   1
   Stan A stan is a devoted, obsessive fan of someone or something. A stan is also a verb that’s used to describe how obsessed you are over someone or something. For example, you can be an Eminem stan, but you can also stan over Eminem (who coined the phrase with his 2000 song “Stan”).
2. 2
   Akgae Similar to sasaeng, akgae is a Korean term that refers to a malicious individual fan. The difference is that akgaes are obsessed with individual members of K-pop groups and actively dislike the other members, going as far as to spread hate and negativity about them. They typically do this to make their idol seem better in comparison, even if the information they’re spreading is false.
3. 3
   Groupie A groupie is a fan of a music group who follows them around in an attempt to get to meet them. They tend to follow them when they tour, attending as many shows as possible with the goal of being noticed by their favorite group (whether it be platonically or romantically, depending on the person and their motivations).
4. 
   4
   Anti-fan An anti-fan is someone who dedicates their time to criticizing or hating on an artist. Like sasaengs or stans, they devote much of their time to their craft, but instead of praising or idolizing the artist, they send their unabashed criticisms toward them.
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