Girl group IVE will no longer accept gifts from fans, except for handwritten letters.

“We have decided not to accept any gifts or fan support other than letters," the group's agency Starship Entertainment said in a notice posted on Monday. "We made this decision in hopes that your goodwill will be directed toward where it is most needed, and ask for your kind understanding and cooperation.”


“We respectfully decline any fan support currently being prepared or planned," added the agency. "We will gratefully accept only your heartfelt thoughts.”

The culture of sending gifts or support to K-pop stars is often referred to as “tribute culture,” or jogong in Korean, in reference to the historical tributary system. It describes the culture of fans providing celebrities with expensive items or services.

IVE member Jang Won-young recently received luxury gifts for her birthday in August from fans in China, including a Miu Miu bag and items from Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari and Chaumet. The total value of the gifts reportedly reached 500 million won ($340,000).

Fans claim they do so out of affection, but critics say the escalating gift-giving practice — which ranges from providing luxury goods to birthday advertisements and catering services — imposes a heavy financial burden on fans.

Other artists including G-Dragon, BTS, Seventeen, IU, Twice and aespa have also banned fan support.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]