K-pop enthusiast Lee’s phone lights up dozens of times a day with notifications — not from friends or family, but from messages sent by her favorite singer, SHINee's Minho.

“It really feels like talking to a friend. It’s not like admiring a celebrity from afar; it feels like having a close, personal connection,” Lee said.

Private messaging services exemplify how K-pop has evolved into an industry that sells not only music but also fantasy, emotions and excitement. While idols have long used social media and YouTube to engage with fans, the rise of private messaging services has further blurred the boundaries between fans and their idols.

These services, which typically cost around 5,000 won per month, allow fans to send direct messages to their favorite stars. While celebrities can see all incoming messages from numerous fans, the fans only see the messages they have sent and messages sent by the celebrities, creating the illusion of a one-on-one conversation. Catering to the increasingly diverse nationalities of K-pop fans, these platforms also offer message translation features.

The pioneering service in this space, Bubble, was launched by SM Entertainment subsidiary DearU in February 2020. Since then, similar platforms have emerged, including Wonderwall’s Fromm in November 2022, Weverse Company’s Weverse DM in April 2023 and b.Stage pop in October 2023.

These services have expanded beyond K-pop idols to include actors and international celebrities, highlighting their effectiveness in building connections with fans.

However, the services have drawn criticism for intensifying the emotional labor of idols, making communication with fans mandatory,

Some idols have even faced backlash for not being active enough on these applications. For instance, (G)I-dle’s Soyeon was criticized this year for sending just one Bubble message and for failing to message fans on the group’s debut anniversary.

Subscribing to these services is optional, and most platforms include policies that allow refunds if no communication occurs for over a month. However, fans have pointed out several mechanisms that induce fans to continue paying. For instance, refunds are not issued if a fan sends a message to the artist, regardless of whether the artist messages. The longer a fan maintains the subscription, the more messages they can send.

“Just like any other professional who wants to enjoy personal time after work, idols likely feel the same way. Offering a service that goes on 24/7 must be a significant burden. But still, as a fan who subscribes to several idols' chat services, I do understand users' frustration about celebrities' infrequent visits to the service,” a K-pop fan who subscribes to Fromm commented.