Fan/K-pop star private interactions inappropriate?

N.Flying's Kwangjin will leave the band temporarily after meeting fans privately. Courtesy of FNC Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

Kwangjin, bassist with K-pop boy band N.Flying, has been a hot issue since Wednesday for temporarily leaving the group after having private meetings with fans.

The group's agency FNC Entertainment denied allegations made by some online users, that he dated and sexually harassed some fans. However, the company admitted that he did have private interactions with fans, calling the behavior “inappropriate.”

Then, why can't K-pop stars build a private rapport with their fans?

“Idol singers are beloved by numerous fans, so having private meetings with only some of them could stoke a sense of relative deprivation for the remaining others,” an industry source told The Korea Times, Thursday. “Hardly any singer meets fans privately ― this is like an implicit agreement, although not written in the contract.”

Another source also said, “Singers and fans these days are much closer to each other and for many fans, stars are like their boyfriends and girlfriends. Therefore, when fandom finds out that a singer has had a private interaction or has been in a romantic relationship with a particular fan, who used to be their 'friend,' they tend to feel more 'deceived.'”

The source added that most idol stars have made massive efforts to debut when they were trainees, and hence, both singers and agencies thought it was risky to build a private relationship and cause a fuss among fans.

In particular, the agencies have been sensitive about this issue since enraged fans could turn against stars ― for the agencies, this is a critical loss of customers.

“I believe there is no reason to prevent singers from meeting or dating anyone they like, but when it comes to their careers, they should refrain from doing things that could fail their fans,” the source said.