Communicating freely with K-pop stars is every fan’s dream.

The dream came true for many fans in February last year, when S.M. Entertainment launched a new service called “DearU bubble,” often shortened to just bubble, on community app Lysn.

The service provides a private space that looks a lot like a private chat room, connecting fans with the artists they love.

When an artist sends text messages, voice messages, photos and videos through this service, all fans who subscribe to the artist’s Bubble receive them. The monthly subscription fee is 4,500 won ($4.02) per artist.

“The contactless platform makes it possible for artists to directly communicate with the fans without any time and space constraints,” an S.M. Entertainment spokesperson said. “Also, if fans send messages back in the chat room, the artists receive them.”

Some of the company’s artists have been using this system extremely well, she explained, fostering a strong connection with fans.

“For instance, if a fan sends a message that starts with ‘Hello, I am Yae-seul,’ K-pop duo TVXQ’s Yunho sends a reply that begins with ‘Hi, Yae-seul,’” the S.M. Entertainment spokesperson said. “So it is a one-to-many messaging service, but users feel like they are communicating one-to-one with the artist.”

Bubble also allows artists to build close relationships with fans, as messages sent on the platform cannot be shared on other platforms.

The service became popular last year as concerts and fan meetups were canceled due to the spread of COVID-19, and fans found it even more difficult to communicate with their favorite artists.

Bubble’s sales during the second quarter of last year reportedly reached 4.2 billion won.

S.M. Entertainment, which initially started Bubble only for its own artists, soon expanded and launched the service for other K-pop agencies such as FNC and JYP as well.

But the service is not perfect.

In June the company announced that it was taking legal action against a few users who had abused the service.

The problematic users sexually harassed members of the girl band Red Velvet and shared messages from the musicians on other websites.

Moreover, there have been complaints about the number of messages that some stars send.

“I was surprised at how many messages artists send. Lee Teuk of Super Junior is especially known for sending lots,” a Super Junior fan who wished to remain anonymous told The Korea Herald.

Some fans, however, complain that they are not getting enough messages.

“I paid the same money,” read a comment from one fan whose favorite band member was less active than the others.

The company has yet to find a solution to this problem, as it is a controversial issue even among fans.

“I don’t think the service will be attractive if artists are obliged to send a certain amount of messages per month,” the Super Junior fan said.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)