A well-known creator with hundreds of thousands of subscribers posted a video in which she went to the agency of Blackpink’s Jennie without authorization, sparking controversy over “sasaeng fans” who intrude on celebrities. As criticism intensified, she ultimately deleted the video and posted an apology.
"I was ignorant about idol-fan culture"… YouTuber Potato Turtle apologizes after being criticized for stalking
Potato Turtle, a YouTuber with about 360,000 subscribers (real name Song Ji-yoon), posted an official apology for the recent controversy over her visit to Jennie’s agency through her social media on the 14th.
She said, "I did not deeply recognize that my actions—going to a management office to deliver a letter and flowers unilaterally without any prior arrangement—could come across as the kind of sasaeng-fan behavior that invades an artist’s private life." She added that she was ignorant about the proper fan culture that respects K-pop artists, then said, "Going forward, I will act carefully so that this kind of thing does not happen again in every piece of content I produce," bowing her head.
"Opportunity comes to the one who knocks?"… Goes to agency in Hannam-dong, even holds a picket protest
The controversy stemmed from a challenge-content segment titled “100 Bucket Lists” that Potato Turtle had been running. She set a goal of “Having coffee with Jennie, just the two of us,” and shared the process of carrying it out as a video.
In the video, she visited the Hannam-dong area in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where Jennie’s private agency is located. She went to the agency building while carrying a handwritten letter, a bouquet, balloons, and more, citing the logic that “opportunity only comes to those who knock on the door themselves.”
In particular, the footage showed her repeatedly pressing the doorbell without any prior discussion, and then rudely delivering items to a staff member via the intercom. After that, the video also exposed, without filtering, a scene in which she held up a picket with the message “Jennie, would you like to grab coffee with me?” and staged a protest around a nearby performance venue.
"Threatening an artist’s private life for views"… After backlash, deletes video
Once the video spread through online communities and social media, outrage poured in from netizens, including Blackpink fandom.
Many netizens criticized her sharply, saying, "Visiting a private space without prior permission is no different from a stalking crime," and "You threatened the artist’s safety for views and attention." There were also repeated remarks that her actions crossed the line from simple fan devotion into reckless, thoughtless behavior.
Recognizing how serious the situation was, Potato Turtle immediately made the problematic video private and apologized. However, with public awareness rising about protecting an artist’s safety and private life, observers expect the cold looks from the public toward her to continue for the time being.
