The representative fandom currently shaking up Korea is Lim Young-woong’s ‘Heroic Age’. Official members alone reach 200,000. If you include those who are not officially active but show their potential as fans, the cohesiveness is enormous.
It is no exaggeration to say that the current Lim Young-woong was created by the ‘Hero Era’. Although Lim Young-woong had outstanding skills as a singer, the fandom's cheering culture led to his explosive growth.
The owner of Heroic Age is the agency Fish Company, but fans formed their own groups within it. Heroic Age was created quickly and easily by easily installing branches anywhere in the country. In a situation where there was no separate president, the group voluntarily created a name and continued donating and volunteering. The number of people varies from a minimum of 10 people to a maximum of 50 to 100 people. Although it was not bound by any rules, it moved quite systematically.
Hero Generation members have continued to provide lunch boxes, regular volunteer work for seniors living alone, meal service, and donations to victims of forest fires. Experts estimate the total annual donation amount of Heroic Age to be more than one billion won. They even created the phenomenon of ‘fandom philanthropy,’ a new donation trend among fans.
Although there are no clear rules or systems, the scale of donations has expanded every year based on the trust of ‘fan sentiment’. In particular, it has become global in scale and regular with the advent of overseas hero eras in countries such as the United States and China.
Also, being active in external activities is a characteristic of fandom these days. Hero's Generation also has members who take charge of public relations work, focusing on sending press release emails to reporters. Some fandoms, including Heroes' Generation, have superior business processing capabilities and means of pressure than entertainment agencies.
Lim Young-woong and his fandom have recently expanded into the sports industry, not just the entertainment industry. Lim Young-woong challenged Sichuk to wish for the development of the K-League, and the fandom followed him. Before the kick-off ceremony, Lim Young-woong told the fans who would visit the soccer stadium, "It won't matter outside the stadium, but inside the stadium, I think it would be good to take off the hero era clothes for a while for their cheering culture. I am not a fan of either team, but just a Korean soccer fan. “Let’s wear everyday clothes and cheer for both teams,” he urged.
On the day of the ceremony, the Seoul World Cup Stadium was filled with Heroic Generation members. They gave fashion highlights to match FC Seoul's symbolic colors, red and black. It did not end here, but they promised to leave their seats to see Lim Young-woong and to clean up the seats when the game was over.
K-League fans were also impressed by the heroic era’s manners. A lot of good stories broke out in Sangambeol, and the number of members of the Age of Heroes has been steadily increasing since the start of the period.
Heroes' Generation's figure has increased 2,375 times in just 6 years since the opening of the fan cafe on May 12, 2017. There is a ‘Heroic Era’ behind Lim Young-woong’s growth and popularity. Although there is no organizational chart or members, it is autonomously 'organized' on a grander scale than anyone else. The fandom that formed a group and cohesively emerged as a new power.
Smart fan culture moves the star market. Since its establishment, Heroes' Generation has continued to provide active support and promotion, taking into account the images and careers of stars. This exerts a powerful influence not only on individual stars but also on the related industry as a whole. ‘My Oppa, I Want to Be a Celebrity’ is over. Fandom, organized more than a company, supports and attracts stars.
Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr