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SM Entertainment under fire after sasaengs follow idols to public fitness center

The fitness center said, 'legal action will be taken against illegal acts like taking unsolicited photos,' after artists were harassed by sasaeng fans

Sasaengs (stalker fans) are becoming synonymous with K-pop and it is increasingly difficult for idols to live without the fear of being followed. Indeed, it seems like these stalkers have gone the extra mile to make idols uncomfortable. Over the last few months, fans of K-pop have noticed idols being chased by sasaengs at airports or being called at their hotel rooms or mobile phones during a live stream. It seems like their main goal is to seek attention from idols, and they are capable of going to any extreme just to get noticed.

On July 7, one such incident caused fans to debate whether SM Entertainment is doing its best to protect their idols. The label that is home to many of the biggest K-pop groups like EXO, NCT, Red Velvet, aespa, and more is now under fire for not doing more to protect their idols from stalker fans. Over the last week, a fitness center in Gangnam, Seoul posted a notice via their social media account stating that stalker fans are causing trouble to idols after they joined the gym under the guise of being a regular member.

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Fitness center issues warning against sasaengs

In their public announcement, the fitness center took to their SNS account to issue a warning against sasaengs when they said, "Artists who are members of our gym are suffering a lot because of sasaeng fans who are registering at our center pretending to be ordinary members." They added, "We understand your love for the artists, however, causing trouble to them and other gym members can only be seen as an extremely wrong way to show artists that." The fitness center also noted, "We are planning to give everyone this notice before they join our gym so that this kind of inconvenience and damage does not happen further."

They added, "Any illegal acts such as unsolicited photo taking or recording are absolutely prohibited and legal action will be taken if caught. Please note that there will be consequences if you act in a way that harms the artists and others." One fan that shared the announcement on the fan platform noted that they censored the name of the gym to protect artists but the celebrities or artists involved in the issue belonged to K-pop groups like NCT, SHINee, EXO, and Red Velvet, all of which are groups managed by SM Entertainment.

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'Wouldn't be surprised if they try to collect sweat'

Fans are now upset with SM Entertainment for not being able to make their own gym in their building which forces idols to go outside and put themselves under threat. One fan said, "Those bitch-a** sasaengs need to understand that their favorite idols also need privacy. everyone needs privacy." One fan defended, "IDK why ppl are saying that this is bc sm doesn't have a private gym like why is it suddenly sm's fault that sasaeng fans won't let idols go to gyms in peace?" One fan asked, "Didn't Sm entertainment get a new building last year? Why didn't they add a gym?" Another fan said, "Why is it necessary for SM to have a gym? Idols are allowed to go to where they want instead of being locked up in one building because fans are crazy stalkers."

One fan responded, "You already answered your own question. SM should have their own gym for convenience and for safety purposes from "crazy stalkers." Another said, "The idols are human, they deserve to go places too, not locked up in the sm building." Someone else pointed out, "It doesn't matter if they are "human or not and deserve to go places too." They are public figures and some crazy fans will bother them just because they are public figures. So, they have to find a way to keep themselves safe. Hence, a gym in the SM building or a private gym are the way for them to stay safe." One fan said, "Wouldn't even be suprised if they're trying to collect their sweat or some s**t like that."

Another fan said, "SM has never protected their idols from sasaengs they actually create that mentality because it brings money. Is it really that hard to have a gym in the company?" "They really need to stop it's disturbing. You don't know how idols feel being stalked by sasaengs. but the fitness center did a good job releasing a statement," someone chimed in. One fan shared, "Sasaeng's are so disgusting. They'll never leave idols alone." Another said, "People who are questioning why sm building does not have a gym is/are in another level. theres something call having a private life and disassociating oneself from work and work related environment."

One fan noted, "So SM have a giant building and they don't have a gym inside?" Another asked, "So, the answer is for idols to have to spend all day everyday locked inside their agencies buildings?" Someone pointed out, "Because a lot of other agencies have it, I thought sm would also have one. no one is saying idols have to be forced to stay at the company, but this is probably the reason some agencies have gyms. sm artists have the worst sasaengs."