K-pop fans' love for their singers goes well beyond the music they listen to and the concerts they attend. Loving a K-pop idol becomes a part of daily life.
In the genre's ever-evolving fan culture, two key trends stand out on social media: photocard decorations and "yejeol-shot." Essential to this part of fandom is the photocard, now an indispensable piece of merchandise packed inside K-pop albums.

The term yejeol-shot, combining the Korean word for “etiquette” (yejeol) and "shot," as in a photo, refers to the act of bringing a favorite celebrity’s photocard to destinations like restaurants and cafes, or on trips, to capture joyful moments together with the photocard and upload it to social media. It has become a ritual for passionate fans of K-pop groups.
While the term's exact evolution is unclear, some speculate that "etiquette" implies that such photos are mandatory if one is a devoted K-pop fan.
To make a yejeol-shot more visually appealing and elaborate, fans often decorate their photocards. The photocard is inserted into a transparent case, commonly called a "top loader," and is decorated with stickers and other markings to express individuality. A search for related videos on YouTube yields hundreds of tutorials showing how fans customize the top loaders to match their idols’ unique traits and the mood of the photocard.
"I think it’s about wanting to share happy moments with my favorite artist," said a 20-something fan of NCT Dream, explaining that carrying decorated photocards has become a habit. “You never know when you’ll come across something you’d like to take a picture of with your photocard.”
Sometimes, photocards are replaced with character dolls that represent the idols. Fans often share pictures featuring these dolls in ways that express the distinct personalities of their favorite idols. If no official doll merchandise is available, fans create their own.
"Being a fan of an artist is just another kind of hobby," said Lee, a fan of Hwang Min-hyun. “Some people enjoy cycling; others collect movie posters. For me, decorating my favorite artist’s photos and creating little records of those moments is my hobby.”
"Meeting up with friends who love K-pop idols, sharing stickers and accessories to decorate our cards, and carrying these cards around -- it’s all become an inseparable part of my daily life," Lee added.
