For years, fans have expressed their admiration for celebrities by offering them gifts when meeting them. This practice is also common in the K-pop industry, where fans give their idols a variety of gifts, from food to expensive items. However, many idols are now changing their stance on accepting gifts and are only willing to receive small items like handwritten letters. The trend began with veteran idol G-Dragon, who initiated the concept of donations instead of fan gifts back in 2011.

G-Dragon started this trend by urging fans to donate to charity instead of giving him gifts for his birthday. When fans donated 8.18 million won in his honor, G-Dragon matched the amount by adding a zero and donated 81.8 million won. This act prompted him to establish his own charity organization called JUSPEACE, focused on addressing drug addiction.

Following G-Dragon's lead, other idols began to follow suit. Groups like GFRIEND, BTS, SEVENTEEN, and NU’EST, as well as solo artists like IU, EXO, Taemin, NCT, Kang Daniel, and many under JYP Entertainment, announced their decision not to accept fan gifts, except for handwritten letters. This trend was not exclusive to idols, as actors like Yoo Jae Suk and Kim Hee Ae also expressed their preference for heartfelt letters over physical gifts from fans.