u/EducationalLeek1027

I spent almost 4 months between Korea and Japan.

I’ve been following this group since I was 12 years old, and only at 27 did I finally get the chance to attend their concerts outside South America.

Before that, I had already seen them a few times in Latin America, but compared to the amount of shows they do in Asia, it’s honestly very little.

In those 4 months, I had the chance to see my artists 12 times in total, plus 2 K-pop showcases and 1 fanmeeting.

And I can honestly say it was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life.

I used to think I was really good at getting tickets in Latin America. I always managed to get the ones I wanted, but experiencing Asian concerts completely changed my brain chemistry (for the worse), especially after seeing the behavior of Asian fans.

At first everything felt magical. It was beautiful just being able to see my artists, even from far seats. But as the days passed, I started noticing it was always the same fans in the front rows, always the same girls at barricade, the same people you’d randomly see at cafés connected to the idols, and the same faces showing up in photos from experiences that were supposedly based on luck or raffles. It started making me wonder how any of that actually worked.

One thing that genuinely shocked me was realizing that most of them weren’t Korean fans, but Chinese fans. Before being in that environment, I had always heard negative stories about Korean fans and how obsessive they could be, but finding out that 90% of that crowd was actually Chinese fans who spoke Korean completely changed my perspective.

Until then, I thought Korean fans were the “crazy” ones, but honestly they were surprisingly chill. Most of them just live their normal lives and, if they get the opportunity to see the idols at an event during the weekend, they happily go. Of course there are exceptions, and yes, there are Korean sasaeng-type fans too. But Chinese fans are on a completely different level of obsession.

And it’s not just about following idols around. It’s also about the amount of money they have to sustain that lifestyle.

I joined several fansign raffles during one member’s comeback season, and it was one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever experienced. It triggered a level of anxiety and emotional exhaustion I hadn’t felt in years. I spent a lot of money (within my limits) trying, and it still wasn’t enough.

After talking to people and making connections in Asia, I found out there’s basically a whole scheme involving Chinese scammers and K-pop stores. Apparently they tell you the exact number of albums you need to buy to guarantee a fansign slot for events with only 30 or 50 winners.

These Chinese middlemen “secure” your spot for a fee, on top of the money you already have to spend buying 50, 100, sometimes even 200 copies of the same album through them. So if an album costs over $23, by the time you add everything together, people are paying around $1,500 to $3,000 just to guarantee entry into one fansign.

And those Chinese fans who attend every fansign and always get barricade at concerts (tickets that are often resold by Chinese resellers for over a million won)… it really does feel like a K-pop mafia.

Nothing about the concert culture in Asia feels healthy. Everything revolves around who has more money.

Finding that out genuinely made me sick because it feels deeply unfair. You’ll never really have a “good” experience in Asia unless you’re willing to spend absurd amounts of money or are already rich. So if you ever come here, be mentally prepared for that reality unless you want to end up frustrated and anxious.

Some of these fans also contribute heavily to illegal ticket reselling just so they can continue attending more events, often selling tickets for four times the original price like it’s the most normal thing in the world. And that’s how the cycle keeps going.

There was one occasion where I had the chance to follow one of the members at the airport while he was traveling overseas for an event. There were people there since early morning waiting to take photos of him… and the way they behaved was honestly bizarre.

At first, confused about how things worked, I asked one of the girls what security was saying, and with the straightest face she told me she didn’t know and that she wasn’t waiting for anyone. Then minutes later there she was with a giant camera following him through the airport all the way to check-in. And a few weeks later I saw her again at his concert 😆

They all seemed to know exactly where he’d walk, exactly when he’d briefly smile at the cameras for two seconds before going back to looking uncomfortable, and then those photos would spread online as if they captured some magical moment.

But honestly, watching their behavior makes you feel terrible. They completely surround him, and you can clearly tell he hates it. I ended up distancing myself and just observing from afar because the entire thing felt insane. There was even an older man there who was probably being paid to take those photos too, now that I understand how this whole system works.

And honestly, there’s still so much more I could say that doesn’t even come to mind right now. But when you experience all of this up close, you realize how ridiculous your existence as a fan feels compared to the lives those fans live.

After everything I experienced, the only feeling it left me with was the desire for him to know who I am.

Because yes, they recognize those fans. Every single one of them.

And most of the time they’re grateful those obsessive fans exist. They talk to them with a certain level of familiarity, which I think is exactly what creates that emotional closeness for them.

Some of those girls genuinely seem to think they’re almost like girlfriends because of the amount of gifts they give, the constant need to stay close to the idols, or the kinds of videos they upload showing only the moments where the artist looked in their direction. None of it felt entirely healthy.

And I think that’s exactly why, when idols start dating someone, those fans react with hatred and betrayal. Because the amount of money they spend to maintain that lifestyle is genuinely insane. Of course it doesn’t justify the behavior, but it does explain a lot of the reactions that seem so abnormal to us on the other side of the world.

As for showcases… honestly, they’re an amazing experience (and free 🤪). You even receive gifts from the idols, which makes you feel really special as a fan.

Usually, before the album officially releases, you need to present 3 things to enter: the official lightstick, the official fanclub membership card, and proof of purchase on Melon.

But Melon is a very complicated situation because only people with Korean residency can legally buy music there due to identity verification requirements. So to get in, you basically need to contact people using illegal methods… and well, you can guess how that goes 🫠

And the craziest part is that out of the 250 fans waiting there, I can confidently say 70% were Chinese fans who only showed their passports as identification.

So if one of the required items can only legally be obtained through a Korean ID, how are the staff members just letting all these foreign fans in?

Honestly, at the time it was convenient for me too, so I didn’t question it. But yes, I fully believe the staff knows illegal methods are being used and simply chooses to ignore it.

Still, the experience itself feels surreal. You get to watch him filming, redoing scenes however many times he wants, talking directly to the selected fans, hearing people scream for him, interacting with everyone…

And at the end he still prepared gifts, photocards, and food for the people who attended.

In one of the recordings, we were told beforehand that after filming he would come outside and do a mini fanmeeting with the selected audience members, and it was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

He talked to everyone who spoke to him, flirted back with people calling him handsome, posed for photos from different angles, and even stood really close to me.

It felt amazing.

In that moment, I genuinely felt like an important fan.

And that’s the weird part. Because when someone you admire gives you attention, gifts, and gratitude for simply being there, it creates this feeling in your chest that honestly has no way back.

Trying to keep up with them and those fans completely broke me.

I’m going back to my country with a debt I never expected to have, because this environment genuinely drives you insane. You always want more and more, and it never feels enough because there will always be someone much richer than you.

The feeling you’re left with is pure inadequacy.

But I’m going back with a lot more experience. Not the kind I enjoyed learning about, but the kind that completely opened my eyes.

Not consuming airport fan content anymore.
Not consuming content from fans who “randomly” run into idols on the street, because honestly, even when they claim it was accidental, it usually isn’t… they spend hours and hours waiting in places idols are likely to visit. Depending on the group, I was even told there are staff members who sell that information to fans so they can go wait for them.

Not romanticizing Asian fans getting special treatment like photos or autographs. They most likely didn’t get those experiences in a healthy way.

And most importantly, not comparing myself to Asian fans anymore, because that’s basically emotional suic***.