The High Cost Of K-Drama Stardom: Stalkers, Identity Theft And The Inability To Peacefully Use A Restroom
The August 12 episode of the SBS show, "One Night of Entertainment," included a segment where it was noted that actor Lee Min Ho was unable to use restrooms in China, without the assistance of police. While the idea may initially seem humorous, it confirms the difficulty faced by K-Drama stars both at home and abroad.
On July 29, it was revealed that Lee Min Ho, along with Kim Soo Hyun and Lee Jong Suk, were the targets of identity thieves. This followed a previous report on July 24 that a criminal ring had gone to the lengths of stealing the personal seal of Lee Jong Suk.
Although, Hallyu stars maintain glamorous lifestyles, they maintain there is a significant price of personal freedom.
Lee Min Ho previously experienced instances of intense stalking.
Whether he decided to be ironic or wanted to make a blatant point at addressing offenders, Lee Min Ho titled one of his songs, "Stalker." This track was derived from his fan-dedicated album, which was released in October 2014. Earlier that year, in January 2014, Chinese media reported cases of extreme stalking by fans. These individuals utilized social media tools like Weibo to track his whereabouts. Stalkers took to private transport to seek him about, forcing the actor to retreat to his hotel room, where he was forced to consume boxed meals.
Stalker fans of Kim Soo Hyun took advantage of his appearance on tvN's "Taxi."
In 2012, before the success of "My Love from the Star," stalker fans commissioned private taxis in an attempt to achieve contact with Kim Soo Hyun. While that is not unusual, this occurred during the filming of the tvN variety show, "Taxi."
A report published by Mwave noted the unusual circumstances surrounding the presence of stalker fans at the taping of a K-Drama star.
"Kim Soo Hyun's popularity rivals that of idols," said a representative for KeyEast. "Even if he falls down in the street, there will be articles written about it."
The route of the vehicle, which was hosted by Lee Young Ja and Gong Hyung Jin was previously known, but adjustments were made to protect the actor.
K-Drama stars are expected to acknowledge their fans in the airport, even if they just experienced a long flight and want to go home.
Lee Jong Suk experienced the high price of stardom when he was accused of poor behavior towards his fans in March 2014. The success of dramas like "School 2013" and "I Can Hear Your Voice" caused his audience to rapidly grow. During one occasion, he arrived at the airport and attempted to quickly depart. In this instance, he was accused of suffering from star syndrome, because he did not stop to take the time to acknowledge the fans who were eagerly awaiting his presence.
While it is easy to get caught up in the moment of being starstruck, there are acceptable ways of approaching top stars, particularly when they are not working.
What are your thoughts on airport greetings and the report that Lee Min Ho needed police to help accompany him to the bathroom?
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About the writer: Adrienne Stanley is a contributing editor for KDramaStars. She is also a contributing writer for KpopStarz, MTV Iggy, Viki and CJ Entertainment's KCON blog. Her passions include a love of K-pop and Asian drama. When she is not writing, she is hanging out on Twitter (@retrogirladdy).
