During a recent event, Dohoon (도훈) of K-pop group TWS (투어스) was asked about two scenarios for fans leaving the fandom: either silently disconnecting and letting the relationship fade, or at least saying a proper goodbye. Dohoon responded, “Everyone… even if it’s just a hypothetical, please don’t ask questions like that (ㅠㅠ). However, I still hope that if you leave, you’ll at least say hello to me first. Wouldn’t that be polite?”
Translated comments from Korean netizens:
1. I’m already grateful if they don’t write a long 'fandom departure' post.
2. Those who just say hello but don’t leave usually write 'I’m full' posts too. That’s the complete package. [Editor's note: 'I'm full' posts are often written by fans who have left a fandom but still follow the idol, implying they've 'had enough' but haven't fully disengaged.]
3. Leaving a fandom usually happens under negative circumstances, so what etiquette is there?
4. Just leave quietly…
5. Pay money to go to a fan signing and tell the idol to their face that you’re leaving the fandom? That’s not realistic.
6. Why even ask such a question in the first place? What answer are they hoping to hear?
7. That would hurt even more…
8. It feels like he sees fans as part of human-to-human relationships, which isn’t bad… but reality is tough ㅠ
9. This is just a balance game, hahaha. Why are the comments so serious? [Editor's note: A 'balance game' is a hypothetical question with two options, often used to spark debate.]
10. If it’s a relationship where you meet often, I’d probably want them to tell me, even if it would be sad. But asking this question initially is annoying, hahaha. Even though the article isn’t about my idol, when they do live streams and ask for questions, why do some people always ask things that spoil the mood?
11. I understand what he means, but to say goodbye, you’d have to spend a huge amount of money, hahaha ㅠ
12. Since they’re people, meeting often creates feelings, so saying hello is polite. But the reality is, he probably doesn’t know it costs ₩500 million (approximately $360,000 USD) to meet you once…
13. From an idol’s perspective, if a fan they see every day suddenly stops coming, they’d naturally be curious. Why are people so seriously discussing how much money it costs…
14. For politeness, you can’t spend millions more, hahaha.
15. How do you say goodbye? Does a mental farewell count? ㅜㅜ
16. He just asked and answered well. The comments here are the strangest, hahaha. Are they genuinely angry or just twisted? Develop some more social skills, hahaha.
17. To say goodbye, it costs ₩500 million… My heart has already left, I don’t want to spend ₩500 million anymore…
18. Because it costs ₩500 million to be polite… so just leave quietly.
19. Why ask such a question?
20. He’s just speaking from a human-to-human perspective, although the balance game question itself isn’t great.
21. I know this is a passerby’s perspective, hahaha.
22. What’s wrong with the comments? He didn’t mean you have to spend money to say goodbye; ㅠ Is everyone just angry because tomorrow is Monday?
23. The comments make me feel like I joked with my mom and got scolded. What’s going on ㅠ
24. The comments are all fixated on 'etiquette'.
25. Saying goodbye when parting is polite, that’s just a normal human-to-human answer, hahaha. He can’t exactly say, 'It’s hard for fans to see me, so please leave quietly.' I think it’s a perfectly fine answer, like 'I want to see you again.' Although I don’t know much about idols, the reaction in the comments surprises me. Idols have said before that when a regularly seen fan suddenly disappears, they wonder if they’ve left the fandom.
26. Quietly leaving the fandom without writing a 'fandom departure' post is the polite thing to do ㅠ hahaha. I only understood this after becoming a fan. From a passerby’s perspective, it might seem better to say goodbye before leaving.
27. Don’t ask idols such questions. What answer do you expect to hear?
28. Isn’t saying goodbye awkward?… You’d also feel sorry… It’s not about money…
29. If you leave a long, emotional 'fandom departure' post and then leave… it’s better to just leave quietly.
30. Does leaving the fandom cost money too ㅠ? Just leave quietly… Why ask idols everything?
31. For the sake of the remaining fans, it’s better to disappear quietly.
32. After experiencing the emotions of an 'I’m full' post, your thoughts might change…
33. Some comments are really like weirdos, hahaha.
34. Asking such a bad question and then criticizing the answer is really too much, even though I don’t know this idol well.
35. If a fan writes a 'fandom departure' post to say goodbye, the idol will be hurt. It’s better to disappear quietly.
36. And some say the question is strange, but the comments here are the strangest… ㅠㅠ I’m really curious how socially inept the commenters are…
37. What’s wrong with the comments, seriously?
38. Are they asking if fans leave because the idol made a mistake? It should be asking about situations where fans pause or completely leave for personal reasons, you idiots~~~~~~~!
39. Why are the comments so twisted, hahaha? Is it because tomorrow is Monday?
40. Knowing is better than waiting forever.
41. From experience, it’s better to leave a fandom quietly.
42. What’s wrong with the comments on this article?
43. The comments are all idiotic, what’s going on?
44. What’s wrong with the comments? The idol just answered as a human-to-human conversation.
45. When people part ways, they should say goodbye. What’s so hard to understand about that?… Who said you have to spend ₩3 million (approximately $2,160 USD) for a final goodbye?… Are they just unhappy because the idol mentioned etiquette?;;;;;;;;;;;
46. The comments here are even stranger… Should he have said, 'Don’t say hello, just leave'?
47. And he didn’t even mention spending money, so why are they constantly mocking with money? Saying hello doesn’t mean 'spend money to come see me and say hello'… He didn’t say anything like that, so why keep bringing up money to mock?
48. The comments are dizzying, truly. That’s why everyone prays their idol’s articles don’t appear on the public forum.
