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K-pop: How jealous 'super fans' try to dictate their idols' private lives

They invest massive amounts of time and money - and expect control of their K-pop idol's private lives.

They stream their favourite stars' music round the clock - even if on mute while sleeping - to boost chart rankings, organise mass voting sessions during award seasons, and sometimes even sponsor digital billboard ads in places like Times Square, New York. Take Taylor Swift, for example, whose attendance at last month's Super Bowl to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce is said to have singlehandedly boosted TV viewership of the game, making it the most-watched broadcast in the US since the 1969 Moon landing. ARMY, the millions-strong fan group for the world's biggest boyband BTS, has taken on philanthropic projects on behalf of the band, and also operate X accounts that translate all BTS-related content, from song lyrics to members' social media posts.

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