Sasaeng: sacralización del idol y devoción extrema en la industria del K-pop
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24137/raeic.13.26.3Keywords:
K-pop , sasaeng , fandom, idol, relación parasocialAbstract
This article analyses the sasaeng phenomenon – understood as an extreme form of devotion towards K-pop idols – based on a corpus of seven cases documented between 2009 and 2023 involving artists from different generations (Big Bang, TVXQ, 2PM, EXO, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior and ENHYPEN). Building on the concept of the ‘parasocial relationship’ (Horton & Wohl, 1956; Dibble et al., 2016) and its intensification within the digital ecosystem of K-pop (Peinado & Shim, 2024; Bollmer & Tillerson, 2025), the study examines how the mediated intimacy between idols and their fanbase can lead to problematic behaviours (Forner et al., 2025). The study interprets these dynamics through the lens of the sociology of religion (Durkheim, 1995; Heinich, 2014; Rojek, 2001), viewing the idol as a sacralised entity, and certain practices as forms of constructing symbolic ‘reliquaries’. In particular, it analyses the so-called ‘Saint Thomas Effect’—the compulsion to physically verify the artist’s presence through contact, stalking or photography—as exemplified by cases such as sasaeng taxis or live kidnapping attempts. It is concluded that the radicalisation of the parasocial relationship within the K-pop industry leads to the emergence of hierarchical structures characteristic of sasaengs, thereby establishing the idol as an object of worship.
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