Some fans, however, believe that despite these methods, the artists come off as unapproachable and distant. Fans say they want more of their idols, and they're not getting it beyond the tightly controlled images and videos.
Dorothy Advincula, an assistant editor at the Korean entertainment news site Kpopstarz, calls this K-Pop's "economics of scarcity," a method agencies use to try to keep the ball in their court. "Artist agencies make it difficult for idols to relate to their fans beyond the stage performance. So the littlest sighting, the slightest glimpse with a photo or any kind of evidence becomes a sort of trophy," she said.
Advincula points to the social media presence as a veil. "While it's not unique to K-Pop, the response is different because there can be a disconnect on how idols and fans actually interact... while in mainstream, there is a certain consistency."
"I think we've come a point of no-return where because of these bite-sized contacts... naturally fans get a bit greedier and demand something more."