BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) is one of the most influential boy bands to currently exist. Their music and fanbase aren't just bound to their home country, South Korea; they've garnered fans across the globe and managed to charm almost everyone with their hard work, dedication, and creativity, making them one of the top artists in the industry. However, with insane fame comes incidents that leave you kind of disturbed.
BTS members have been constantly subjected to incidents like trespassing, breaking, and stalking that sometimes make everyone question the line between a fan and a borderline stalker.
Recently, a woman trespassed into Jungkook's apartment, raising serious concerns over his safety and the rise of the 'sasaeng' phenomenon, which is more prevalent among boyband fans. Let's talk about a few incidents where Jungkook was subjected to such behaviour.
A report recently stated that a 40-year-old woman trespassed into Jungkook's underground apartment. The woman was able to do this by tailing an incoming car. It was after the security noticed her on the cameras that she was arrested by the police. The woman then claimed that she was visiting her friend's house, but the investigations are still ongoing.
Someone tried to trespass Jungkook's house the day he was discharged from the military
As South Korean law requires all men to do mandatory military service, Jungkook and the whole band took a two-year hiatus to complete the service. This year, in June, Jungkook was discharged, and fans were celebrating the return of their favourite idol. However, it wasn't long before the mood was spoiled when the news of a Chinese woman trying to break into the star's house went viral. Apparently, the woman had travelled all the way from China to meet the star after his discharge, and when she tried to unlock the door by guessing the security PIN, the neighbours took notice and got her arrested.
Fans kept calling his hotel room and sending him food, making him uncomfortable
During BTS's Las Vegas tour, a fan went live and addressed how fans kept sending him food and kept calling him. He addressed how this behaviour wasn't okay and that it was "scary, pretty disturbing, and annoying." Although the whole BTS has witnessed this behaviour multiple times, the youngest member seems to be on the receiving end of such incidents more often than others.
In 2013, the star addressed how fans kept sending him food. He requested the fans to stop sending food because he wouldn't eat it, and if it didn't stop, he'd use the receipts to take action on whoever was sending the food. He said, " Please don't send food to my house. I won't eat it. I appreciate the gesture, but I take good care of myself. If this happens again, I will track the receipt and take action. Please stop."
BTS 's 'V' was handed a marriage certificate by a fan.
Not just Jungkook; BTS member Kim Taehyung also encountered such scary incidents. Sometimes, fans will figure out all his information and book seats next to him, making him uncomfortable. But the worst encounter was when one woman stalked him for so long, figured out his details, car route, and other information, and then one day followed him to his building's elevator. She handed him a marriage certificate with her and his information on it, making him uncomfortable and scared at the absurdity. He later used the information to get her arrested.
This was one of the cases that sparked serious conversations on the existence of 'sasaeng' behaviour, which has been plaguing K-pop culture for as long as one can remember. 'Sasaeng' is a word often used to describe obsessive and stalker fans who end up forming uncomfortable parasocial relationships with idols and K-drama actors.