One step ahead of you: Sah Saeng Fans
Who would you consider as the most hardcore fan of a celebrity? Someone who has watched every single one of their idols performances? Someone who spends 12 hours a day on the forums praising their idol? Someone who runs a website dedicated to their favorite celebrity? That probably is as far as a foreign fan of a Korean idol could go. A few crazed Korean fans, however, decided to take it another step – and follow their idol. By follow, I don’t mean check up on the news about them every day and memorize the shows they’ll be on – by follow, I mean physically follow them around. They’re known as “Sah Saeng Fans” (사생팬), where Sah Saeng is short for Sah Saeng Hwal, which means “private life.” As the term suggests, these girls’ hobby is to observe the stars’ personal lives. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Jane, a high school student from Seoul, decided to attend DBSK’s Chang Won concert. Most fans from Seoul took a train down there, but Jane and her 3 friends decided to take a cab. It ended up costing them 550k Won ($460), which is double the price of a bullet train ticket for four people. However, Jane thinks it was money well spent. Her cab followed the van that DBSK was in, and surely enough, the van pulled into a rest stop. The ride to Chang Won takes about 4-5 hours, and even DBSK needed to eat and use the washroom. Jane’s cab followed the van into the rest stop, which is an ideal place for a Sah Saeng fan because there aren’t many other fans trying to get DBSK’s attention and the tired manager doesn’t show much hostility. Jane was lucky enough to pass her gift onto DBSK herself and even got to eat right beside them.
Definitely worth the money, isn’t it?
Jessica, a university student, was sitting in her car, parked outside of SS501’s house as usual. That is when she spotted a member coming outside to enjoy a day off. She pursued the member quickly, and arrived at a cafe in Chung Dam Dong, where that member visits frequently. She was the first fan on the scene, and after sitting near the member, she decided to fool other Sah Saeng fans who would soon arrive there and spoil this precious chance to enjoy her oppa in peace. Jessica sent text messages to some other Sah Saeng fans she knew, saying “I think he went to Shin Sah area.” The fans usually share their information, and surely enough, they were fooled by this false alarm. After successfully being the only fan in the cafe, she quietly took pictures of her oppa. Exclusive story, definitely worth the betrayal.
High school student Joanna has a special friend – a cab driver. But he is not an ordinary cab driver; he is what fans call “Sah Taek”, a cab that specializes in following celebrities around. He sent a text to Joanna saying “So-and-so just went into a cafe in Ap Gu Jung”, and she called him right away to Shin Chon, where she lives. It would normally take a cab an hour to get there from Ap Gu Jung, but her cab arrived in half an hour and took her to where the cafe is. Joanna was able to see her favourite oppa, and on that day she spent 50k Won ($42) on cab fare – Sah Taeks usually charge 30k Won per hour, much higher than ordinary cabs, but it was worth it. Sah Taeks are never wrong, and she was willing to do whatever was necessary to get a real life view of her idol.
Although I listed two examples of high school students above, most fans in high school don’t even dare to be a Sah Saeng fan – usually Sah Saeng fans are in their 20s, as they have the much more free time, disposable income, and less restriction from home. They can also drive, giving them the mobility which is crucial in pursuits. They camp out in front of the stars’ houses, their hair salon, the TV station, or wherever the star frequents. Sure, it costs a lot of time and money, and ordinary people don’t view them so kindly.
But before calling them “crazy,” “creepy stalkers,” take a moment and think; wouldn’t YOU be willing to do the same if you lived in Korea and was given the opportunity?
yesh i would……….at least once ;)
No, I really wouldn’t.
I’m too lazy XDDD
I’m satisfied if I get a smile during a concert *even if its directed to everyone in my general direction* lolz
My answer to the question would be a NO. i wont be a crazed fan but I’ll be a star. To be with my idol I need to be an idol too. If not just a trainee is okay with me.. I got the talent, why waste it? Right! xD
meh im too lazy to do that kind of stuff :
just one 2pm concert…
what an invasion of privacy o-o
celebs might hav better opinions of someone if they dun seem like some kind of closet perv/stalker…
Ahh interesting… I never knew that.. haha
NO way I would do that!!! I’m too shy to approach them…>*<
and besides…. wasting my time :P
wow.
I don’t think I’d go that far- it’s too much energy haha
i have so much to say about this but i’ll keep it shot & about me AHHAH
when (if nothing goes wrong) i move to korea for some time i will have much better things to $$ on. Like, shopping, eating until i puke, visit my spec friend, festivals, Fun things.
Not to stalk a celeb by car kkk
Besides, I rarely even buy cd’s, last time was a year ago i think… I rather spend my money on music festivals with my favorite stars or concerts, events.
And if i would wanna meet them i’d just aply for a TV show with them in it. JKE… or am i…. hahaah i would prollyt not be chosen. oh, i can be in the audience dancing and everyones going “wtf…. ”
I should audition for JYPE… 8D
Nope!
I have a GREAT life to live up.
and YES this is a CLEAR WASTE OF TIME—- cge!
i wouldnt go that far i mea ther ppl like us ther not like gods or something
some ppl need dto like chill out
nope. won’t do it….. i think i would just be a complete turnoff for them… .-.
If i had a a shit load of disposable income and alot of free time on my hands. (I can dream cant I) Then I may have to plan a trip to Korea, See a concert But NOT stalk them to that extent.
wow. so scary =(
i would pretend not to know them and ask them for directions and then sort of just follow them around so i could now korea better. lol, please ignore my creepiness, i am too much of a wimp to stalk celebrities around, plus i have better things to do with my time and life
even so, if i’ve been given the opportunity to live in korea, i will not be that creepy . to be able to meet the idol coincidentally was way far batter. it’s called ‘fate’. *blink2*
some online friends complained to me because i live in same area with Jaebeom but never look for him and take pics for them.. when bumping into him? sure, it’s my pleasure~ but by stalking him around like i have no life? no, thanks… :X
OMG! it’s trueman’s world , just like that movie, maybe we can hide a camera on their shirt to meet our curiosity~
pretty sick
but i think i ll do the same when i have no worry about income and job
hahaha
WTF..
I am not stupid enough to do this stupid act.
Sure, even i would like to see my fave celeb in the flesh,
but i won’t do it this way~
Hell no I would not do that lol.
1. It’s Creepy
2. It’s Creepy
3. I could spend that wasted money on delicious lunches and short shorts
AND FINALLY and most importantly
4. It’s REALLY Creepy !
ok…..that is really extreme…
but they were lucky to spot their idols ~^^
i get the chills thinking about someone watching my every move.
feel bad for the idols.
i so would not stalk them in real life.
im content with watching them on tv shows.
lol @ all the comments…
i actually wouldn’t… that’s just really crazy~ i mean… 2pm was like a train station away one time in nyc and even though i was a fan.. i was more afraid of the FANS then the security.. i ended up not going.
besides…. give the idols some privacy. they work really hard already and im sure they don’t want their news being all over the place or some stalker fan right behind them each and every second of their lifes. they wouldn’t have time to even breathe. sheesh~ respect their lives u obsessive fans and not only girls. but im sure there are guys out there too. :D
I would probably do that Sah Taek thing once, I don’t see that as a big deal.
Like the Idol will ever care about how you got there.
But once those Sah Saeng fans really start to disturb their Idol’s private life, that’s where it goes wrong.
geeeeez~!^^
LOL, I wouldn’t lie. I would do this if given the chance (and money!) =)) TVXQ<3
LOL a little scary but i think i’d wanna see dbsk in real life too. :x