K-pop star gets police protection over German stalker
Rebecca Staudenmaier
January 1, 2020
Nayeon, a member of the K-pop girl group "Twice," was given increased security after a stalker tried to approach her on a plane. The reportedly German suspect has been posting for months about trying to meet the star.
The managers of the K-pop girl group "Twice" said they are taking legal action after a "foreign stalker" tried to make contact with one of the group's members on an airplane on Wednesday.
Group member Nayeon has been placed "under police protection due to this incident," JYP Entertainment said in a statement, according to the English-language blog Allkpop.
According to the agency, the suspect figured out what flight the group would be taking from Japan to South Korea and also booked a ticket. He then proceeded to try and approach Nayeon multiple times while onboard, raising his voice and clashing with the group's security team.
Fans grew concerned after a post with a picture from inside the airplane was posted on Twice's official Instagram account, the Korea Times reported.
"Please go back home. Please stop. I beg you," the post read according to the paper. The post has since been deleted.
JYP also said it is also investigating how the group's flight information leaked and was sold online.
K-pop: Scandals and tragedies
South Korea's K-pop industry is hugely famous across Asia. While K-pop artists enjoy massive popularity among their fans, a series of scandals and untimely celebrity deaths have put a spotlight on K-pop's ugly side.
Image: Getty Images
More and more deaths
Cha In-ha, a popular South Korean actor-singer, was found dead at his home on December 3, 2019. A police official told media that the cause of Cha's death was not immediately known. The 27-year-old celebrity made his film debut in 2017 and was part of the Surprise U band, which released two albums. There were no reports to suggest that Cha had been a target of personal attacks or cyberbullying.
Image: picture-alliance/Yonhap
Popularity and despair
Cha's death comes after another popular K-pop singer, Koo Hara, was found dead at her home last month. Koo, 28, had been subjected to personal attacks on social media about her relationships with men. South Korean police found a handwritten note in her home in which she expressed despair about life.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Sung-Jun
Sex and corruption
Lee Seung-hyun, a former member of K-pop group Big Bang, is currently on trial over allegations claiming he paid for prostitutes for foreign businessmen to attract investment to his business. The scandal involving Lee, who goes by the stage name Seungri, saw the shares of his band's agency, YG Entertainment, plummeting.
Image: picture- alliance/AP Photo/A. Young-Joon
Artists as bullies
In November 2019, K-pop stars Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon were jailed for assaulting drunk, unconscious women. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced singer-songwriter Jung to six years in prison and former boy band member Choi to a five-year term. Both men were members of online chat groups that shared secret sex videos and made jokes about drugging and raping women, the court said.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Yeon-Je
Challenging conservatism
Choi Jin-ri, a former member of a girl group, died in an apparent suicide in October. Choi, popularly known as Sulli, was critical of cyberbullying. She was attacked on social media after she spoke out about not wearing a bra in the conservative K-pop industry.
Image: picture-alliance/Yonhap
K-pop managers
In June, Yang Hyun-suk, founder of YG Entertainment that manages Seungri and other K-pop artists, resigned as the company's chief producer in the aftermath of drug and sex scandals. In this picture, K-pop group 'Twice' poses on the red carpet of the 2016 Asia Artist Awards in Seoul in November 2016.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Ed Jones
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'She's afraid of you!'
The suspect, who is reportedly a German national, has been posting for weeks on Twitter and YouTube about wanting to meet the K-pop star.
Following the incident, the man claimed that the group's managers became physical with him while he was trying to give Nayeon "love letters."
In a subsequent tweet, the man said that he didn't intend to bother the group, but said he wanted to "confess my love to her and wanted to know what she thinks about it."
Many fans of the group posted comments urging the man to stop harassing Nayeon and the rest of the group.
"She's afraid of you! Stop!" wrote one Twitter user.
JYP Entertainment said that although the man was unable to reach Nayeon, she is currently experiencing "significant feelings of discomfort and anxiety."
