What is a sasaeng?

Sasaengs (사생팬) – sometimes called sasaeng fans – is a slang term in K-pop culture. It comes from the Korean words sa (“private”) and saeng (“life”). These are obsessive fans who ignore the privacy and personal space of Korean idols. Essentially, they go way too far in their pursuit of or interest in K-pop idols. Some can be actually dangerous, but many run fan pages or websites (are we sasaengs?! gasp) and operate a lot more like American paparazzi or tabloids.