Ever since his starring role in
the drama series “Something in the Rain” in 2018, Jung Hae-in has been hailed
in South Korean pop culture as the country’s “Younger Boyfriend,” in reference
to his role as the paramour to an older woman. Despite his own reservations on
the connotations, Jung is now one of the latest stars of the Hallyu, or K-pop
culture wave. And thanks to “Something in the Rain” having aired in ABS-CBN’s
free-to-air Asianovela Channel since July, he has a sizable Filipino fandom
too. They certainly came out in force for Jung’s fan meet tour last Saturday.
As The Manila Bulletin tells it, Jung Hae-in’s “One Summer Night” Fan
Meeting Tour held at the New Frontier Theater this past September 28 could only
be considered a resounding success. It is hard to ignore the mass of fans that
showed up to be wowed by Jung’s Korean idol versatility and to take advantage
of an opportunity to ask him juicy questions. Far from being the younger
boyfriend, for the Pinoys that Saturday evening Jung was all “Oppa” (big
brother) as he commanded the audience with his star power.
Typical of Korean idols, the
versatile Jung kicked off “One Summer Night” with a song, Paul Kim’s “Every
Day, Every Moment.” He would sneak in three more numbers throughout the event,
which consisted of sit-down interviews and various challenges. The activities
ran the gamut from Jung recording a “Good night” video message on a lucky fan’s
smartphone, to drawing a design on a blank shirt with signature to be given to
an audience member, to attempting to knock the cap off a plastic bottle with a
taekwondo turn kick within 123 seconds. All attendees were privileged with a
chance to exchange hi-fives with Jung, and received official posters as well.
But it was the interview portion,
called Fan TMI (for obvious reasons), that was the real meat for some fans of
Jung Hae-in. They submitted questions for the Korean TV star to answer, such as
his preferred marrying age (before he turns 40) and if he can return to Manila
sometime soon (as early as next year, and to visit the rest of the country to
boot). Some letters also spoke of issues fans are experiencing in their lives,
and what advice Jung might give them. Here he plays “Pharmacist of the Soul” in
answering their concerns, as with an Indonesian fan from Jakarta who broke up
with her boyfriend after he attempted to dissuade her from travelling to
Manila.
“I’m just one
big ball of gratitude,” Jung remarked in the post-event press-con. “The fact
that I get to fly out of Korea, sitting here in Manila with fans. The fact that
I get to do something like this, I’m just so grateful. On top of the gratitude,
there is a larger sense of responsibility. The more I work, the more I have
fans. The sense of responsibility that I feel gets bigger.” The “One Summer
Night” fan meet was another Wilbros Live co-organized event.
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