(Photo: Left – Heo Young-saeng's official profile photo / Right – X post by ‘Forever Young’)

[Hanteo News = Reporter KIM YEONWOO] There are countless reasons why someone becomes a fan. A single moment caught by chance, a captivating performance, or even a few lines from a song can be enough to make someone fall for an artist. What begins as a simple attraction gradually grows into affection, leading fans to appreciate even the smallest qualities of the person they admire. In some ways, being a fan resembles unrequited love, yet it is also a different kind of relationship, one in which both sides acknowledge each other's presence and exchange affection. The sincerity that goes into supporting someone for so many years can sometimes make fandom feel like one of the purest forms of love.

But that devotion does not always remain unchanged. Recently, a fan's farewell message after 16 years of supporting a singer and the closure of a fansite that operated for nearly two decades have prompted reflection on the relationship between stars and their fans.
 

(Photo: Left – TOPSPOT PICTURES / Right – Post by ‘ChoiSeungHyun.com’)

A 16-Year Fan Walks Away, and a 20-Year Fansite Shuts Down

Recently, the operator of singer Heo Young-saeng's fan page ‘Forever Young’, identified as A, published a farewell message announcing the end of 16 years of fan activities.

In the message, A explained that they had spent approximately six months preparing a birthday cafe event using their own money and time. About three months before the event, A contacted Heo Young-saeng's representatives to ask whether he could visit, but was told that it would be difficult. According to A, their event was the only birthday cafe being organized to celebrate the singer's birthday at the time.

Heo Young-saeng subsequently arranged a separate offline event on his birthday, November 3, causing the schedules of the two events to overlap. A said they ended their own birthday cafe early to attend Heo's event but were hurt by remarks made at the venue.

According to A, toward the end of the event, Heo Young-saeng made a comment to the effect of, "I'm grateful that they organized a birthday cafe for me, but they kept asking me to come."

A felt the remark could make it seem as though they had repeatedly pressured the singer to attend, when they had only inquired about the possibility of a visit.

A explained that their disappointment was not about whether Heo visited the birthday cafe, but rather the feeling that the event they had spent so much time preparing, along with the sincerity behind it, had been taken lightly. This ultimately led to their decision to end their fan activities.

However, these claims reflect the perspective presented in the fan's publicly shared farewell message, and no separate official statement from Heo Young-saeng's side has been confirmed.

Meanwhile, singer T.O.P's fansite ‘ChoiSeungHyun.com’ has also ended operations after nearly 20 years. Established in August 2006, the fansite announced its closure on October 9. As the announcement coincided with news of T.O.P acknowledging a romantic relationship, some online users speculated about a connection between the two developments.

The fansite operators, however, cited a lack of communication from T.O.P and his agency, along with what they perceived as an attitude that took fans' dedication for granted, among their reasons for closing the site.

T.O.P subsequently took to social media on November 1 to express his apologies and gratitude to the fansite operators and fans. He stated that he would never forget the trust and support they had shown him over the years, emphasizing that their love was never something to be taken for granted.

A longtime fan's decision to walk away and the closure of a fansite maintained for two decades may take different forms, but both cases illustrate how even years of devotion can be shaken by disappointment and a perceived lack of communication.

 

(Photo courtesy of T.O.P's Instagram)

When Does Being a Fan Become a Form of Labor?

Fandom activities have evolved far beyond simple consumption, expanding into various forms of support for artists. In addition to purchasing albums and merchandise, fans now routinely organize and carry out promotional campaigns, produce online content, and arrange birthday cafes and advertising events on their own initiative.

In this context, researchers Kang Shin-kyu and Lee Jun-hyung examined the dual nature of fandom activities in their 2019 study, ‘Between Production and Consumption, Between Play and Labor: The Reconstruction of Fandom Through Produce 48’, published in the Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies.

Through in-depth interviews with fans of ‘Produce 48’, the researchers analyzed how fandom activities can function as both leisure and labor. They explained that while fandom is fundamentally rooted in enjoyment and voluntary participation, certain activities can take on the characteristics of labor, with fans effectively performing some of the promotional, marketing, and management functions typically handled by entertainment agencies.

Of course, not every fandom activity can be defined as labor. Fans often find genuine enjoyment in voluntarily supporting someone they admire.

However, when such activities require significant amounts of time, money, and effort, it is equally natural for fans to hope that their contributions will be respected.

Rather than viewing fandom activities solely as consumption or voluntary expressions of passion, it is important to recognize the time and effort that go into them.
 

(Photo courtesy of X post by ‘Forever Young’)

The Two-Way Relationship Between Fans and Stars

The intensity of fandom does not always remain the same. Interests can naturally change over time, and disappointment within the relationship can sometimes lead fans to walk away. When someone feels that the affection and effort they have devoted over many years are not being sufficiently respected, even the most unwavering support can eventually come to an end.

From an artist's perspective, however, fans are also far more than simply an audience watching from the other side of the stage.

During an in-person fan signing event on July 28, 2025, TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) member SOOBIN reflected on how many fans who had regularly attended events since the group's early days were now rarely seen.

He shared that he sometimes thinks about those who disappeared without saying goodbye, adding that if the fans currently supporting him were to leave someday, he believed he would continue to remember them.

His words suggest that fans are not the only ones who cherish the time spent together. Artists, too, carry memories of the people who have supported them along the way.

Affection for someone can sometimes grow into more than a decade of unwavering support. What begins as admiration can bring joy and excitement into a person's everyday life, yet it may eventually end with both sides going their separate ways.

The time they shared may not remain the same forever, but that does not erase the significance they once held in each other's lives.

Perhaps what matters most is that the years spent wholeheartedly supporting someone, and the memories of that affection, remain a source of warmth long after the relationship has changed.

 yeonwoo38@hanteo.com