TXT’s Beomgyu Gains Attention After Publicly Calling Out Sasaengs Who Phoned During His Live Broadcast
While K-Pop is an industry normally seen through rose-tinted glasses, idols suffer many hardships and invasions of privacy, particularly from sasaengs, who are fans that stalk or engage in other behavior constituting an invasion of the privacy of an artist.
Recently, one idol that gained attention for calling out sasaengs for calling him during a live broadcast was TXT‘s Beomgyu.
On April 26 (local time), Beomgyu surprised fans by doing a live broadcast from the group’s hotel. As expected, the idol radiated positive vibes as he chatted with fans and updated them on what they’d been doing.
Sadly, netizens raised anger online after Beomgyu was forced to address sasaeng fans who called him during the broadcast.
During the broadcast, fans shared concerns when Beomgyu responded to getting called from sasaengs during his broadcast. While looking down at his phone, the idol explained, “I’m going to look at the comments on my phone, so please don’t call me.”
It wasn’t the only moment that Beomgyu alluded to being called, as he also explained that he wouldn’t play music on his phone, and many believe it was because of the calls.
Guys, the way I see it, I don’t think that I will be able to play music on my phone today. So, I’m just going to go get the iPad.
— TXT’s Beomgyu
While the comment seemed confusing for fans who saw it without context, Beomgyu confirmed that he wasn’t using his phone because he was receiving calls from an unknown number.
During the live broadcast, all the members joined Beomgyu when the idol looked down at his phone and explained, “This is the fifth time they’re calling me…”
After the broadcast and when the clip was shared again online by a big TXT account, netizens couldn’t hide their anger at these so-called “fans” phoning idols and making them feel uncomfortable. For many, they also wanted HYBE to protect the artists and find a way to stop idols from being put into uncomfortable situations.
people who go out of their ways to stalk idols go to their hotels and find out every personal information are SICK. @BIGHIT_MUSIC PROTECT YOUR IDOLS. https://t.co/AXDModgPFu
— krysten (@UNOFFlClALTXT) April 27, 2023
there were a lot of weird comments during yesterday’s live and someone kept calling 🧸 during the live too…
if you don’t have anything nice to say or do, just don’t fcking do it.
— TXT Translations 💬 (@translatingTXT) April 27, 2023
leave him alone, you sick stalkers. You make him uncomfortable, you're invading his privacy, you have no right to do this. And fck also everyone who keeps engaging with people who invade their privacy. You're all going to hell for this. I truly hate you all with all my heart https://t.co/NYsyOAizPu
— AlessandraMM ✧ (@_AlessandraMM) April 27, 2023
Yet, it’s not the first time idols have addressed sasaeng calls during their live broadcasts. BTS‘s Jungkook, ATEEZ‘s Wooyoung, and many more have shared their anger towards receiving calls from sasaengs during live broadcasts.
ATEEZ’s Wooyoung Publicly Calls Out Sasaengs Who Phoned During A Live Broadcast
Although idols love doing things for fans, there are boundaries in place, and trying to contact them through personal means, including on the phone, is not right. Considering the means the sasaengs would get idols’ numbers, it’s not surprising that many share their worries and anger about the calls.
