It’s common for fans to ask to take pictures with celebrities when they happen to see them on the street, but in some cases, fans were rude and disrespectful.
It is not difficult to spot celebrities on the streets of Korea, especially in places such as stadiums, restaurants, coffee shops,… This is when fans often approach celebrities to ask for pictures or autographs, but sadly, many artists have gone through uncomfortable experiences because of this. Specifically, they were hurt by rude words from the so-called fans who asked to take pictures with them. This explains why many celebrities have now become reluctant to take pictures with even their real fans.
An example is comedian Kim Won Hyo. When he attended the wedding of an acquaintance, many other guests asked to take photos with him. Later, a person posted a selfie taken with Kim Won Hyo on their SNS and criticized him for not being sincere enough, saying, “He said he had to go see the bride and groom instead of taking pictures with us. Then he came back and took just one photo. Does taking a photo take up to 3 seconds?”. This person also included hashtags demeaning Kim Won Hyo that read “I was so angry that I didn’t want to take pictures anymore”, “Did he think he was Kim Soo Hyun or Park Bo Gum?”. Kim Won Hyo then had to speak up to explain that he was the host of the wedding ceremony, so he really needed to go see the bride and groom first. He stayed for 20 minutes to take pictures with fans but ended up receiving negative comments. The comedian said, “I was badmouthed even after taking pictures with them”.
A similar situation happened to actress Shin So Yul at a baseball game. A girl who asked to take a selfie with Shin So Yul later posted on SNS with the caption that said, “I kept asking for photos but her facial expression was very weird. I’ve never been interested in her but I liked her because she’s also a fan of LG Twins (Korean professional baseball team). I’ve heard good things about her but now I’m just mad.” A comment under the post also faceshamed Shin So Yul, accusing her of plastic surgery, saying that the fan looked even prettier than her.
The same thing happened to comedian Kim Ki Su. He did not hesitate to take pictures with fans but ended up receiving rude comments. The person who took a selfie with him even said they felt like throwing up afterward. Kim Ki Su later responded to this hurtful remark, “I thought you would have a good heart because you have such a pretty face. I remember you said thank you three times and bowed to me. This is so hurtful. From now on, I will be cautious when others ask to take pictures with me.” Comedian Jung Jong Chul also had his appearance ridiculed after taking selfies with fans. He even apologized, “It’s my fault, because I went all the way to Gwangju to take pictures with everyone.”
Faced with unreasonable insults, many celebrities have expressed their disappointment and even reported fans who crossed the line to their agencies. Specifically, comedian Kim Ki Su sent the fan’s defamatory post to his company for them to handle it.
