The Harsh Reality Of “Nugu” Groups Trigger Intense Reactions

What are your thoughts on this?

Recently, an online community post garnered over 75,000 views as netizens shared their experiences of stanning lesser-known “nugu” groups compared to larger company groups.

The stories revealed both the pros and cons of being a fan of a less popular group.

| theqoo

The manager knows my face, and I know the manager. I greet the manager and understand their struggles. I make sure to bring something to eat for the manager when going on schedules. The members look for me first, and if I don’t come, they ask why I didn’t come. They asked me if I could film behind-the-scenes content with my camera. The company looks for me and we both go and leave together from our schedules. My bias know my teacher’s name and curses them out with me at fan sign events. The spots for fan signs don’t get filled up either…I can go to their fan sign just by buying one album, but I buy ten for them…

| theqoo

They don’t even hold fan sign events, but when they do, they ask the fans directly when they should be held. Sometimes, we eat together after a show, and the fans make more money than they do, so we collect money and pay instead. As someone who stans a group like this, I sometimes wish I saw them on the news for doing something bad.

| theqoo

They were a real nugu group, and one time, a member asked a fan what they had to do to get a job. The next time they held a fan sign, the fan came with many books related to the TOEIC exam and other certifications as a present. The group is disbanded now, however.

However, many K-Pop fans were heartbroken while reading the stories.

| theqoo

• “I’m so sad I can’t read the rest.”
• “I wish one of the groups mentioned have succeeded…”
• “If you’ve ever been a K-Pop fan, some points will tug at your heartstrings…”
• “I’m crying…”
• “Those idols are all so young..I hope the best for them. And what’s with calling them failed idols….you don’t call an employee a failed employee.”