IVE fans outraged over '7,500 won to have a member call your name'

Dissatisfaction among fans of the group IVE is escalating into a controversy over new fandom business models implemented by their agency, Starship Entertainment. As high-priced member exhibitions and random lottery-style goods events emerge one after another, some fans have raised concerns, questioning whether the company is "excessively commercializing fan sentiment."

At the center of the controversy are the media art exhibition 'An-Young' featuring An Yu Jin and Jang Won-young, and 'Kuji'—a Japanese-style random lottery goods culture. The exhibition for the two members will take place from September 5 to 27 at The Seouliteum in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The exhibition is designed to showcase unreleased photos, media art, and experiential content, and will also feature the first reveal of individual photo books that the two members personally contributed ideas to.

Ticket prices are 30,000 won for General Admission and 66,000 won for Special Admission. The Special Admission includes additional items such as a photo card set, an A3 poster, and a photo card holder. However, some fans expressed dissatisfaction not only with the high prices themselves but also with the fact that, contrary to the exhibition title 'An-Young,' there is insufficient content featuring both members together, and that the exhibition is being held specifically around An Yu Jin and Jang Won-young rather than involving all members of IVE.

Adding fuel to the fire is a newly launched random lottery-style event. 'Kuji,' popularized in Japan, is a method where participants pay a set amount to draw for prizes of various grades, differing from standard goods sales in that the buyer cannot know in advance which item they will obtain.

This event featuring IVE is reportedly 7,500 won per draw, with prizes set across grades from A to F. Among them, the highest grade, A, includes a video of a member calling a fan's name; B consists of a hand-signed Polaroid; C is concert hand-signed MD; D is a portrait film keyring; E is a unit photo card set; and F consists of individual photo cards.

In particular, as it was revealed that the probability of winning the A grade is extremely low, some fans criticized it as being "close to winning the lottery." Points were also raised that the structure stimulates the consumption psychology of the fandom, as there is a possibility of repeated purchases to obtain a desired item. In fact, reactions such as "It feels like a money-eating machine," "Isn't this just business exploiting fan sentiment?" and "I feel like I'll keep doing it because of the anticipation" have appeared online.

This criticism is not simply a matter of whether the prices are high or low. The crux of the issue lies in the fact that the K-pop industry is moving away from the traditional consumption structure centered on albums, music releases, and concert tickets, and is instead diversifying its product lines into photo cards, pop-up stores, exhibitions, experiential content, and random goods, thereby increasing the frequency of fandom spending.

In particular, random-type products have the characteristic of inducing repeated purchases while the buyer is in a state of not knowing the result. It is a method that stimulates the desire to consume by combining the scarcity and randomness of collectible items. From a fan's perspective, the act is not simply purchasing a single product, but the "process of attempting until one obtains the desired member or desired grade" itself becomes the consumption.

For a group like IVE, which has already secured a powerful fandom and high brand value, such strategies can have an even stronger effect. In fact, despite criticisms regarding the high ticket prices, the 'An-Young' exhibition recorded high demand, reaching number one in real-time rankings for the exhibition and event sectors immediately after reservations opened. It is a case where criticism and consumption coexist simultaneously.

Because of this, some view that this controversy cannot be dismissed simply as a matter of "not buying expensive goods." This is because, in the fandom economy, consumers are not mere buyers but participants who support the artist's activities and form relationships. The point at which fans are raising issues is closer to the fatigue felt as repetitive paid content and random sales methods accumulate, rather than the existence of the products themselves.

IVE is currently continuing its global activities through its second world tour, 'SHOW WHAT I AM.' An Yu Jin and Jang Won-young are also meeting fans in a different way from the stage through this exhibition.

Ultimately, this controversy boils down to the question of how Starship views its fandom. Depending on whether the fandom is viewed as a long-term cultural community or as a market with diversified consumption power, the same exhibition and goods take on entirely different meanings.

IVE's high popularity leading to actual consumption is a natural industrial phenomenon. However, the problem changes if fans feel the line between 'supporting' and 'overspending' is blurring. This is why the 'Kuji' controversy is expanding beyond a simple debate over goods prices into a larger discussion regarding K-pop fandom business monetization and consumer fatigue.