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a thread on sasaengs: what they are, how to tell if a site is one, and why you should NOT support them
to start, i made this thread because some people may be new to fansites (i didn't know what sasaengs were when i first joined it's okay) and i think a lot of people are still confused about this topic
so what does sasaeng mean: the term comes from the korean words for private (sa) and life (saeng) and has largely been used to describe fans or fansites that invade idols personal lives by following them around, buying personal info etc
one thing to note is ive seen ifans describe sites as sasaengs more frequently than kfans as i think kfans tend to use it only for sites that have grossly invaded idols space & that have physically harmed idols. ifans use it for sites who have gone to private schedules as well
so are all fansites sasaengs?: no! only sites that have invaded idols personal space (by following them around on personal time, buying idol's information for things such as unannounced schedules and flight information to be on the same flight (often taking pics) etc) are
why you should not support these sites: the characteristic of sasaengs is the blatant disregard for idols personal space & privacy for the sake of taking pretty pictures that they then sell in order to attend even more events and follow them around even more, restarting the cycle
these sites can physically and possibly mentally harm idols or others by following them around, causing fights & sometimes even things such as accidents. just because an idol chose to be an idol does NOT mean they signed up to be harassed or stalked but that's what these sites do
by sharing pictures taken by sasaengs, buying their merchandise (such as seasons greetings or slogans) etc you are telling these sites that there is nothing wrong with their behavior and are actually encouraging them to continue because you're showing interest in their work
so how can you tell if a fansite picture is safe to share: a few things to look at! is the picture coming from an event that was announced and is the picture taken from somewhere that site should be?
airport pictures: airport photos can be really tricky to determine if they are okay or not. but generally, if a site is at the arrival doors or exit/baggage claim area they are permitted to be there...taking pictures at places like security, customs or at the gate are a problem
so if a site takes a photo somewhere they should have been at an event they could attend then they're not a sasaeng right?: no. if a site has exhibited sasaeng behavior at all then they should not be supported at ALL. its really a problem with the site & their actions
what about sharing safe pictures with the logo cropped?: if you're trying to find this many loopholes to support a bad site i think you need to think about if you actually care about the actions of these sites or if you just want to avoid a guilty conscience by sharing their pics
by sharing safe photos by a sasaeng site in the end you once again are showing support for the site in general and that you support their behaviors. if it's a public event there will likely be other safe sites there sharing photos, use those instead & support safe sites!
it can be hard to keep track of which sites are okay so a lot of fans have created lists of safe sites or for sasaengs (i have one for example) you can look at. you can also search the site name and sasaeng to see if ppl have talked about them being one
https://twitter.com/i/lists/1205693897189593088
https://twitter.com/i/lists/1205693897189593088
here is an amazing spreadsheet for example that @softyldh and @IhcsoIo put together for hc that lists all of his sasaeng sites (with their logos) with explanations for why they should not be supported. it also has links to sasaeng lists for other members
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eckc-k-N8DsarG1ZqSv5BcJtlVbT5JLp0YGx6FkvGZw/htmlview#gid=0
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eckc-k-N8DsarG1ZqSv5BcJtlVbT5JLp0YGx6FkvGZw/htmlview#gid=0
so if a site is on a safe list it's okay to share their pic right?: no! and this thought can lead to sharing sasaeng pics. lists should be always updated bc sometimes sites we thought were okay do something they shouldnt. use the criteria i mentioned to determine if a pic is okay
overall the thing it comes down to is determining what your priorities are as a fan, do you prioritize pretty pictures or members personal privacy and safety. there ARE safe sites out there you can choose to support instead! but if you decide to support bad sites that's on you
knowing nct's history along with plenty of other idols with sasaeng sites and fans you should understand why you should not encourage this behavior. and remember, ANY site or fan can be doing things and not just be taking photos or sharing so always be aware
if u ever have questions on whether a site / picture is safe or anything else feel free to cc me and ill do my best to help! if ur gonna try to defend these sites don't bother bc i'll delete it and it will only take me a second to do so vs the long time it took you to write it 
and if you had unintentionally been sharing sasaeng sites content or pictures before because you didn't know please don't feel guilty, trying to teach people about this topic is the entire reason i made this thread! it's not to shame anyone who didn't know ^^
