Idol Group Suffers Chilling Invasion of Privacy: Sasaeng Fans Secretly Change In-Flight Meals

On the 29th of last month, TXT member Taehyun reported a sasaeng fan through the fan communication platform Weverse.

Taehyun shared, “When we were about to return to Korea after a fun fan signing event with MOA (fandom), someone had pre-booked and changed the in-flight meals for the members’ seats. It’s not a big deal if we don’t eat it, but I don’t understand why they did it and how the system allows others to change someone else’s meal,” expressing his displeasure.

Some airlines allow passengers to pre-select meals considering religious beliefs and allergies.

In order to change the in-flight meals, personal information is required. This raises concerns that sensitive information may have leaked to the sasaeng fan.

Taehyun reassured worried fans by adding, “I ate beforehand, so don’t worry.”

The continuous complaints from K-pop stars about the inappropriate behavior of sasaeng fans are concerning.

Meanwhile, last month, HYBE filed a lawsuit against SNS account operators accused of illegally obtaining and trading the flight information of their artists.

HYBE stated, “Since last year, we have formed a dedicated task force to respond to the illegal trade of flight information of K-pop artists. We have identified several SNS accounts involved in the illegal trade of artist flight information and have submitted evidence to the police.”

Based on this evidence, the police conducted long-term domestic and international investigations and confirmed the charges against some suspects, sending them to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

HYBE explained, “The investigation revealed that the suspects made millions to billions of won by trading artists’ flight information. The information was traded illegally through chats and DMs.”

They added, “The illegally traded information was used to find out artists’ seat details in advance, allowing the suspects to board the same flight and attempt close contact, engaging in stalking behavior. There were also cases where they arbitrarily changed the artists’ seats and in-flight meals or canceled flight reservations, disrupting schedules and causing harm to the artists and entertainment company operations.”

HYBE emphasized, “The illegal sale or purchase of flight information is a clear illegal act that threatens the safety and causes anxiety for artists. It can also lead to safety incidents at airports and on aircraft. We will take strict action against these crimes, following a zero-tolerance policy with no settlements or leniency.”