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Karina, a member of the popular K-pop group aespa, has been dealing with persistent Sasaeng fans who continue to invade her privacy by calling her phone. In a recent audio live, Karina publicly addressed the issue, expressing her distress and requesting that fans respect her boundaries. She pleaded with the sasaeng fans to stop calling her.
Fans of aespa expressed concern, frustration, and empathy following Karina's plea for sasaeng fans to stop calling her. Many fans took to social media to support her, condemning the behavior of the sasaeng fans. One concerned fan wrote:
"I fu**ing hate sasaengs, just leave her alone omg"
The reactions were also marked by anger toward sasaengs, with some fans demanding better treatment for idols. Many also questioned how the idol’s personal number was leaked in the first place, with fans expressing disbelief and concern over the breach of privacy.
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"Tt’s so weird to me how normalized sasaengs calling idols is….. like not normalized ig but i see videos like this so often and i’m just like ??? police???? this is crazy?," shared a netizen.
"It's genuinely confusing and baffling to me how sasaengs get idols' numbers?! and i've been here for a decade," said one fan.
"JMJ are too nice for this world bcs if it was me I would yell those btches to leave me alone. I can't imagine how many times they changed their phone number to avoid the sasaengs," expressed an X user.
Several fans also highlighted the need for stronger action to protect idols from such harassment, urging authorities to intervene. Other fans directed their frustration toward SM Entertainment, Karina’s management agency, for not taking sufficient action against sasaengs.
"SM is so disgusting for never doing anything to protect aespa like it happenes all the time whenever they especially jmj goes live ," shared a fan.
"SM needs to do something to protect aespa. This isnt the 1st time sasaengs called karina or winter while on live. It's pissing me off," remarked one more netizen.
"How is the company so BIG and gets so much money but random ppl can manage to find an artist phone number.. Where tf are u safety measures and sht," said another X user.
Karina pleads with sasaeng fans during live, singing SHINee's Don't Call Me while asking for privacy
In the audio live the Up singer-rapper urged the sasaeng fans:
"Please don't call! Don't do that! Don't call me!"
The situation took a lighthearted turn when Karina, sang the lyrics to SHINee's song Don't Call Me. Despite the playful tone, he repeatedly asked them to respect her privacy. Meanwhile, Winter, a fellow aespa member, appeared both confused and concerned and asked:
"What are you doing?"
However, Karina continued to plead with the fans, maintaining a lighthearted tone throughout the interaction.
A sasaeng fan (사생) is an obsessive follower who invades the privacy of celebrities. This includes idols, actors, and other public figures in the South Korean entertainment industry. The term comes from the words sa (사; 私) meaning "private" and saeng (생; 生) meaning "life." It refers to the intrusion into the personal lives of stars.
Managers in the entertainment industry estimate that popular idols have between 500 and 1,000 sasaeng fans. Around 100 of these fans follow the idols every day. Sasaeng fans often engage in extreme behaviors to gain attention from celebrities.
These actions include stalking idols at their homes or dorms. They may also spread rumors, steal personal items, or gather private information about celebrities. Additionally, they harass the family or friends of celebrities and even send them inappropriate gifts.
Karina, born Yoo Ji-min on April 11, 2000, is a South Korean singer and rapper. She is the leader of the K-pop girl group aespa, formed by SM Entertainment in November 2020. Karina quickly gained attention for her strong vocals, striking visuals, and captivating stage presence. She is also a member of the supergroup Got the Beat, which debuted in January 2022.
In 2024, the idol marked a milestone in her career by achieving her first top-ten song as a solo artist on the Circle Digital Chart. She also won her first solo music show award at Show! Music Core for her track Up from aespa’s album Synk: Parallel Line.
