"Selling Byun Wooseok's Departure Info"... Hommas Earning Up to 100 Million Won a Year Dominate Fan Hearts [K-Star Departure War ④]

Leak of Flight Information:
The Dark Side of Fandom's Underground Trade
An 800 Billion Won Market:
The 'Goods Market' in a Legal Blind Spot
Fan or Merchant?
The Blurred Boundaries of the Homma World

Editor's NoteK-culture has now grown beyond a passing trend to become a full-fledged industry. A star's departure from the country is no longer a private affair but a 'public meeting' with the masses and a part of cultural content. However, the disorderly scenes of fans at airports cast a dark shadow over the bright side of the industry. This series begins with the question: "How can the expansion of culture and public safety coexist?" Amidst complex factors such as the autonomy of fandom culture, the public's right to movement, and the operational efficiency of airports, to what extent should policy intervene, and how should it do so? Through real-life case studies, responses from relevant organizations, and comparisons of domestic and international policies, we aim to explore the direction of airport safety management and the sustainability of fan culture in the era of K-culture.

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"Selling Byun Wooseok's flight information." "I have a collection of high-definition photos of Zerobaseone's departure."

These are posts found on a social networking service (SNS) frequently used by idol fans. In open chat rooms accessed via these links, information such as flight numbers, departure times, and gate numbers was being traded in real time for 1,000 won each. The sellers claimed that the schedules, which even entertainment agencies had not disclosed, were obtained through insiders, insisting the information was "reliable." The more sensitive the schedule, the higher the price.

This kind of flight information trading is considered an open secret within the K-pop fandom. Searching the hashtag '#정보판매' ("#informationforsale") on SNS yields dozens of posts selling arrival and departure schedules. At the center of this are fansite operators who follow stars and take photos-known as 'homma' (short for homepage master).

A 'home' is an unofficial photo site run by an idol fan, and a 'homma' is the person who operates it. These individuals appear at airports or concert venues with DSLR cameras, capturing high-definition photos of idols and posting them on fansites or SNS. Their photos include not only official events but also unofficial schedules, making them highly popular among fans. Some famous hommas have tens of thousands of followers on SNS, and their content is sometimes considered higher quality than official releases.

Opinions on homma culture are divided. Some liken them to "private paparazzi" and worry about privacy violations, but within fandoms, they are also seen as multi-faceted cultural producers-photographers, editors, webmasters, sellers, and investors. However, as their activities become commercialized, legal and ethical issues have emerged as societal challenges. The Seoul National University Newspaper pointed out that "hommas are cleverly exploiting legal loopholes to profit from derivative works."

Leak of Flight Information... The Dark Side of Fandom's Underground Trade

Illegal information trading has even infiltrated airline internal systems. In 2023, an employee (identified as A) of a Hong Kong-based foreign airline entered the names and birthdates of celebrities such as BTS into the global airline reservation network, leaking over 1,000 pieces of boarding information for famous entertainers. This information was traded for between 1,000 and 20,000 won per transaction, and A made over 10 million won in profit. A testified, "At first, I did it as a favor for an acquaintance, but later I sold the information for money." This case demonstrates how organized information trafficking within fandoms has become.

Some fans use this information to flock to airports or book the same flights to secure seats close to their favorite stars. Last year, the congestion at the airport during actor Byun Wooseok's departure was partly caused by fans gathering en masse due to leaked schedules. As a result, the area around the airport gate was paralyzed, leading to controversy over excessive responses. Although the information leak may seem trivial, it can actually threaten airport order and safety.

Singer Kim Jaejoong shared on a broadcast, "Fans buy business class tickets just to see me," and added, "Celebrities prefer window seats to minimize disturbance, but one day, fans took the window seats and I ended up sitting in the middle."

Song Minho of the group Winner expressed his fatigue through the lyrics of his self-composed song "Fear": "The person sitting next to me on the plane isn't a fan. I heard they pay the airline for the information. At the departure hall, it's a 200mm lens war. Privacy and panic disorder are traded for each other."

Recently, there has been an increase in cases where people buy tickets, take photos in the duty-free zone, and then request refunds. Because refunds take time to process, flight delays often inconvenience regular passengers, but there are few effective penalties.

Attorney Son Seunghyun of Sedam Law Firm explained, "The area past the airport security checkpoint is considered a security zone under the Aviation Security Act, and unauthorized entry is punishable," but added, "If a fan has purchased a ticket legitimately, it is difficult to deem their entry illegal. However, if filming or approaching is repeated, it could be considered stalking."

An 800 Billion Won Market: The 'Goods Market' in a Legal Blind Spot

Hommas distribute their photos for a fee or produce and sell various goods such as photobooks, calendars, phone cases, and slippers. There are even hommas specializing in goods for specific idols. Kim Suan (26) said, "In the past, there were only official goods, but now homma goods are prettier and more unique, so I seek them out."

The domestic K-pop fandom economy is estimated at 8 trillion won annually, with the unofficial goods market accounting for about 800 billion won. Some well-known hommas earn over 100 million won a year, often selling goods without registering as businesses or reporting taxes, claiming they are self-produced. Tax experts point out, "Continuous and repeated sales activities are subject to value-added tax and income tax, and business registration is mandatory above a certain scale."

These goods involve complex legal issues such as portrait rights, copyright, and publicity rights. Commercializing or selling images taken without the entertainer's consent can result in civil lawsuits for violation of portrait rights, and highly commercial items such as figures or image goods may also be seen as infringing publicity rights. Although publicity rights are not explicitly stipulated in Korean law, some court rulings have recognized them.

Fan or Merchant? The Blurred Boundaries of the Homma World

Pop culture critic Jung Deokhyun emphasized, "Some fans are initiating self-regulation movements to protect celebrities' privacy," and added, "Ultimately, introspection within fandoms and the spread of responsible consumer culture are needed."

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency regard fandom culture as a "driving force for K-content" and adhere to the principle of self-regulation. However, there is growing criticism that hommas' illegal filming, leakage of personal information, and tax evasion have already gone beyond the bounds of fan devotion.

Major entertainment agencies such as HYBE and SM Entertainment have set up dedicated teams to consider legal action based on the Anti-Stalking Act and infringement of portrait rights. Although they advocate a zero-tolerance policy, its effectiveness is limited.

An official from a major agency said, "Hommas frequently change accounts and move between platforms such as Telegram, Twitter, and Instagram. They log in with overseas IPs or use anonymous open chat rooms to distribute content. If an account is reported, they delete it immediately and create a new one to continue their activities." The official added, "Similar cases exist overseas, but it is rare for fans to swarm airports as they do here. There is an urgent need to overhaul systems for fandom management, personal information protection, and blocking illegal content distribution."