In life’s later chapters, fandom can bring a new beginning. The Korea Herald spoke to three women who found that through Korean pop
For years, Lim Su-hyun believed the happiest days of her life were behind her. Then, six years ago, she found joy again — in the voice of trot singer Lim Young-woong, whose popularity rivals that of many K-pop stars. Every morning after saying her prayers, the 82-year-old opens YouTube to listen to his songs, a daily ritual she says has given her life new meaning.
Lim began losing her eyesight in 2018 after being diagnosed with glaucoma and macular degeneration, forcing her to give up many of the activities she once loved. For nearly two years, she battled depression and a deep sense of loss.
Her outlook changed in 2020 when she watched Lim Young-woong perform “The Story of an Old Couple in Their 60s” on TV Chosun’s Mr. Trot.
“Ever since I discovered Young-woong, I’ve become much more cheerful and started going out again,” she said. “People tell me I look 10 years younger because of him. That’s how much strength you can gain from admiring someone.”
Lim is part of a growing generation of fans — many of them women — who discovered fandom later in life.
The artists they admire may differ, but many of their stories echo one another.
Each of the women The Korea Herald spoke to found fandom at a point when much of her identity had become defined by responsibilities to others — raising children, building a career or simply enduring difficult periods. Becoming a fan did not replace those responsibilities, they said. Instead, it reminded them that they, too, deserved something that belonged entirely to themselves.
For Carol Peregrino, 48, becoming an Army — BTS’ global fandom — during the COVID-19 pandemic marked that turning point.
Already struggling with depression while feeling trapped in a job she no longer wanted, Peregrino said hearing BTS member Jin sing “I’m the one I should love in this world” in his solo song “Epiphany” changed how she viewed herself.
“I realized I had never put myself first ever since I became a mom,” she said. “I never knew how to truly love myself until BTS. They taught me that it isn’t selfish to pay attention to my own needs.”
Kim Ju-ri, 42, arrived at fandom through a different path but reached a similar conclusion.
The Busan resident said she had always lived thinking about tomorrow — constantly worrying about the future and what she needed to endure before she could finally relax.
Discovering Day6 member Wonpil unexpectedly interrupted that cycle.
“As someone who always overthinks, the fact that I stop thinking while watching Wonpil’s videos is what made me like him so much,” Kim said. “He’s like my reset button whenever anxiety surfaces.”
Stories like theirs are becoming increasingly familiar, and the <a href="https://comicvibe.com/official-red-sonja-x-barbarella-crossover-from-dynamite-entertainment/” title=”Official Red Sonja X Barbarella Crossover From Dynamite Entertainment”>entertainment industry has begun to take notice.
“We’re seeing fans across a much broader age range than before,” an entertainment agency official, who requested anonymity, said. “Older fans are no longer a niche audience. For many artists, they have become an important part of the fan base and a significant
Some agencies are already adapting. Lim Young-woong’s agency, for example, offers detailed ticket-purchasing guides and telephone booking support for fans less familiar with digital platforms, while expanding on-site assistance with a greater emphasis on accessibility and safety. Since his breakthrough on Mr. Trot in 2020, Lim Young-woong has drawn more than 911,000 concertgoers across 81 sold-out shows, underscoring his status as one of Korea’s biggest live performers, according to reports.
The growing visibility of older fans has extended online as well. Videos of senior concertgoers frequently go viral, including one featuring 95-year-old BTS fan Isabel, whose attendance at BTS’ “Permission to Dance on Stage” concert in Las Vegas drew widespread attention after she said the group’s music had given her “a new life.”
For many older fans, however, the artists themselves eventually become only part of the story.
What begins as admiration often grows into friendships with people who understand the same excitement.
After wondering whether there were other BTS fans her age, Peregrino created the BTS Army Over 40 Club. Today, the community spans TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, connecting more than 200,000 followers around the world.
“My three closest friends are all Army,” she said. “If not for BTS, I don’t think I would’ve met them. At this age, it’s not easy to make new friends.”
Kim experienced something similar in Busan.
She founded “Ajimae My Day,” a group of seven middle-aged Day6 fans who meet once or twice a month to celebrate birthdays, attend concerts, visit fan events and support one another through everyday life.
“It has become another social circle in my life,” Kim said. “People in their 40s and 50s can feel lonely because they suddenly have more time to themselves. Meeting people who share the same interests gives us new energy.”
Her fandom has also inspired her to embrace new hobbies. Through her Instagram account documenting life as a middle-aged Wonpil fan, she began connecting with overseas My Day (Day6 fans) and even started learning English so she could speak with them directly.
Lim found companionship closer to home.
At church, she met fellow Lim Young-woong fans who regularly gather after Sunday services to talk about the singer over lunch. Together, they have visited filming locations featured in his music videos and television appearances. The outings, she said, gave her another reason to leave home despite her declining eyesight.
What was once considered the domain of teenagers is increasingly becoming a lifelong pursuit.
More women are finding time for themselves after decades devoted to careers and family, and fandoms are evolving into an enduring part of adult life rather than a youthful phase. Parents, retirees and professionals are attending concerts, collecting merchandise, running fan accounts and organizing gatherings, challenging long-held assumptions about who gets to be a devoted fan.
“For a long time, fandom was understood as something people naturally grew out of,” culture critic Kim Sung-soo told The Korea Herald. “What we’re seeing is the normalization of fandom across the life course. Today’s older fans are showing that enthusiasm for artists can coexist with careers, parenthood and later life.”
Experts say the phenomenon also reflects changing attitudes toward leisure and well-being in an aging society.
“Many people assume fandom is simply entertainment,” said Kwak Keum-joo, a psychology professor at Seoul National University. “Psychologically, however, it can function as a healthy coping remotions, reduce stress and provide moments of joy during difficult periods.”
Kwak said hobbies often become especially meaningful in middle and later adulthood, offering people a chance to rediscover identities beyond work and caregiving responsibilities.
She added that fandom can also help address one of the biggest challenges of later life: shrinking social networks.
“Communities built around shared interests help combat loneliness while giving people opportunities to continue building meaningful relationships,” she said.
Strange to like someone much younger?
Despite the joy fandom has brought them, all three women said they still encounter the stereotype that passionate fan culture belongs exclusively to youth.
Peregrino said older fans are often misunderstood because their admiration for younger artists is dismissed as little more than physical attraction, leaving many reluctant to openly identify as fans.
“People think it’s strange because the artists we like are younger than us,” she said. “But what we’re connected to isn’t just how they look. It’s the way their music puts feelings into words we couldn’t even explain ourselves. They make us feel seen and understood.”
While such stereotypes persist, experts say they reflect outdated assumptions about fandom that are gradually giving way to a broader understanding.
“The idea that fandom belongs only to teenagers stems from the long-held belief that people naturally outgrow being fans,” said Kim Jeong-seob, a professor in Sungshin Women’s University’s Department of Culture Industry and Arts. “Today, fan communities are increasingly becoming lifelong spaces where people find belonging, emotional support and opportunities for self-expression.”
For culture critic Kim Sung-soo, the trend reflects a broader social change.
“It’s easy to dismiss older fans as people trying to relive their youth, but that’s a misunderstanding,” he said.
“What we’re seeing is a generation giving itself permission to devote time and emotion to something simply because it brings them joy.”
