Being a K-pop fan is NOT as easy as it seems. From collecting photocards to scrambling for concert tickets, K-pop fans from all around the world have many challenges to conquer. ?
Among all the challenges, there are some inescapable struggles that are unique to Malaysian K-pop fans. If you’re also a fan of K-pop, keep on reading to see if you can relate to the following struggles!
1. Waiting forever for new or subtitled content
“From music videos to interviews and variety shows, our favourite K-pop groups and idols have a lot of content to keep us occupied. But once we’ve caught up with the old content, it feels like FOREVER before new content is made available to us.” — Hannah, 20
For fans who can’t wait for the official release of content, it’s usually a long, long wait. Worse yet, when the long-awaited content is finally released, Malaysian fans who don’t speak Korean would have to wait even longer for subtitles and translations—how annoying is that?! ?
2. Dealing with judgemental and kepoh relatives
“My relatives don’t understand my obsession with K-pop. They think it’s a waste of time and money, and would ask me to focus on my studies instead!”—Anisah, 18
Being a K-pop fan is even more challenging when we have to deal with all the kepoh questions and judgemental comments from family members. “Why you spend so much time and money on these idols?”, “How come you like them when you don’t even understand Korean?”, “All members of the group look EXACTLY the same.” Just let me be happy. ?
3. Speaking Korean = awkward conversations
“I’ve learnt a few Korean phrases like ‘miahnhae‘ (sorry), ‘jamkkanman‘ (wait for a while), and ‘jangnanhae‘ (are you kidding me?) from K-dramas, and I can’t resist slipping in some Korean phrases into everyday conversations. Unfortunately, since my friends don’t speak Korean, they would often frown and say ‘huh?’ instead.”—Amar, 17
More often than not, K-pop fans would still have to translate the Korean phrases and vocabulary for those who don’t understand Korean— better stick to our Malaysian rojak language lah! ?
4. Can’t help but pick up new habits from K-dramas
“Sometimes, I unknowingly pick up some habits I see on K-dramas, like slurping loudly while eating ramen. My mum would always complain that I’m being rude.”—Adam, 21
Other than adding a few Korean phrases into our speech, K-pop fans sometimes find themselves picking up habits from K-dramas, such as:
- Folding ramen cup covers into a cone so it becomes a mini plate
- Cooking and eating ramen straight from the pot ?
- Slurping loudly while eating or drinking
And of course, be prepared for some judgmental stares if you practise some of the above habits in Malaysia!
5. Difficulty finding local fans to gush about your favourite idols with
“Unless you’re a fan of super famous Korean artists, it can be extremely challenging to find local fans both online and offline in Malaysia. This explains why many of us have been watching live streams and going to concerts alone.”—Katie, 19
Additionally, new K-pop fans might also find it difficult to fit in due to missing out on past events or some inside jokes among the fan groups. This leaves newbies feeling left out and doubting whether or not they’re “true fans” of their idols. ?
6. Impulsively buying merchandise
“I have this uncontrollable tendency to buy everything related to my idols, be it posters, apparel, or light sticks. And MOST of the time, I’m splurging on items that are only remotely connected to them, like plushies, accessories, even brands that they endorse!”—Jess, 18
Since there are very limited Korean merch stores in Malaysia, K-pop fans often need to make overseas purchases online and pay expensive international shipping fees. What can we say? You can’t put a price on love.
Despite these struggles, being a K-pop fan can be truly rewarding and most importantly, it brings a lot of joy. And if you’re part of the K-pop fandom, we have good news for you! Malaysian fans can continue to feed their love for all things K-pop or K-drama and continue growing their collection of Korean memorabilia thanks to this wonderful news:
Cha Eun Woo has partnered with Malaysians’ favourite snack brand Mister Potato to be its new ambassador! ?
In case you didn’t know, Cha Eun Woo is a South Korean actor, model and singer from the K-pop group Astro. He gained popularity through his first leading role in Gangnam Beauty and is actively starring in TV and web series, including True Beauty and Sweet Revenge. Cha Eun Woo has also won multiple awards!
In conjunction with the collaboration, Mister Potato has released the Limited Edition Jinjja Syok flavour! For those who don’t speak Korean, “jinjja” means “really” while “syok” in Malaysian lingo stands for “attractive” and “interesting”. Let us tell you why this flavour is jinjja syok!
The crinkle-cut chips are seasoned generously with a wide array of spices to achieve the unique Korean flavours we all know and love. This mystery umami flavour easily makes it the best snack for any occasion, from cosy movie nights to thrilling parties, and more! Rest assured that the chips are #RidiculouslyTasty, thanks to the #RidiculousMix of spices.
What’s better than seeing Cha Eun Woo’s pictures on the packaging while snacking on delicious chips?!
Besides, if you spend RM20 and above, you’ll stand a chance to get a Cha Eun Woo notebook for FREE! ?
So, be sure to get yourselves some of these delicious snacks from MAMEE’s official store on Shopee before they’re out of stock!
For more information regarding Cha Eun Woo’s collab and Mister Potato’s products, follow Mister Potato on Instagram and Facebook.
What other struggles do you encounter as a K-pop fan in Malaysia? Let us know in the comments below!
