What Does This Mean?
Korean term for an extreme fan of a K-pop idol or other entertainer who invades the star's private life, for example by following them, waiting at their home or collecting personal information. The label is pejorative and is widely treated in Korea as stalking and a social problem rather than as ordinary fandom.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
"The agency issued a statement warning that it would take legal action against "사생팬" behaviour at the members' residence."
LORE & ORIGIN
Combines 私 (private), 生 (life) and the English word fan, literally a fan of the private life. Korean Wikipedia describes the term as covering extreme fans of K-pop and Hallyu entertainers and discusses the behaviour in terms of trespassing, privacy violations and portrait-rights and personal-data issues; it cites media from 2012 and 2015 but gives no date of first use. The word is used by the public and by fan communities, usually to distance ordinary fans from such behaviour.
MENTIONS OVER TIME
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