JYJ’s Kim Jaejoong, who debuted as a member of TVXQ, talked about the harm he received from sasaengs [obsessive stalker so-called ‘fans’].
On the 27th of June, Jaejoong made a guest appearance on a YouTube show and talked about his past.
Although he usually hosts the content, Kim Jaejoong, who appeared as a special guest on this day, became the special MC and had a conversation with THE BOYZ’s Yonghoon.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Kim Jaejoong’s debut, and he said that he had a soul wedding ceremony with his fans. He said, “When people ask what makes me happy, I say ‘I am happy because of my fans, and fans are my girlfriend.’ But (haters) still say things like that at their age. My fans are the most adorable existence because they made me who I am today. When I see those hateful comments, it reminds me of my fighting spirit,” revealing his love for his fans.
Kim Jaejoong also mentioned that he had received even harsher hate comments. He said, “Sometimes people say things like, ‘Hey, now you only have people who like you. You have nothing else. Are you pretending to like them?’ That makes me really angry.”
He said, “When people ignore their love and say that their love was fake, I become even more determined. I want to show them what I can achieve through my efforts in the future.”
Kim Jaejoong also shared a story about the pain he suffered from sasaengs. He said, “When HOT hyungs (older brothers) were around, it was an analog fandom culture, so we only focused on taking action. In our time, we had both analog and digital technology, so (the harm from sasaengs) felt a bit worse.”
To this, Yonghoon said, “I heard a lot of news about trespassing in TVXQ’s dormitory when I was younger,” and Kim Jaejoong said, “It’s only ‘natural’ for people to come into your home. There are sasaeng taxis even in other neighborhoods. This is a very mild level” and shared even more extreme episodes.
Kim Jaejoong said, “I received a picture from an unknown number while I was at home. It was my back view. It means that person was inside my house. But when I discovered it, it was a bit too late. The person had already come in, took a picture, and left. It gives me goosebumps, but it’s nothing compared to that.”
In response, Yonghoon asked, “After experiencing all of that, would you still want to be an idol if you were born again?” and Kim Jaejoong replied without hesitation, “I want to do it again.” Despite being kissed while sleeping, he said he still wants to be an idol. He surprised everyone by saying, “The person who kissed me while I was sleeping was caught in our dormitory. If it happened now, they would have been thrown into prison.”
Kim Jaejoong said that due to the sasaengs, he has developed a habit of always being cautious. He said, “I searched for anything that might be there. I lived like a prisoner. But when they disappeared, it was better.” He also expressed gratitude to IU, saying, “I’m grateful to IU. She sued fans who went beyond the limit, and it made people realize that their actions could cause significant harm to individuals.”
Source: (A)
