Anonymity in journalism is usually reserved for those who face severe repercussions for revealing their identity. A whistleblower at a large conglomerate, an insider at the presidential office, an intelligence agent, a North Korean defector. These are some people who might ask not to be identified or who are given an alias when talking to reporters.

In South Korea, however, even people talking on the record about topics perceived to be harmless are granted anonymous treatment. Even a K-pop fan.

A common reason given for not being named in an article or news report is that the subject is “sensitive.”