Amidst the screaming fans, Jung Hae In appeared on stage to kick start his "The 10th Season" Fan Meeting in Singapore on Sunday night (29 Oct 2023) with the song Crazy from his popular K-drama, Deserter Pursuit (DP).
"Hello, my Singapore Haeiness (name of his fans), I'm finally here, I'm so nervous! This is the first time that I am making a mistake in my first song. Singapore is the last stop of my Asia tour and from this stage, I can see everyone clearly" his first greeting on the sunny island, to his ardent fans.
The first segment of the fan meet features exclusive behind the scenes photos from his various works.
"I'm not good at taking selfies, nowadays I'm losing confidence taking selfies," earning disapproving comments from the fans, who claim that selfies the star posted in his social media always look great.
Among the images that were shared, he remembered the one that he took at a wine bar while filming Something in the Rain and one that was taken along the streets of New York from Jung Hae-In's Travel Log, a travel series which was broadcast in late 2019 to early 2020. He was elegantly dressed in a photo taken from the school open house in Snowdrop, a rare sight since he appeared "bloody" in most scenes in the drama.
When fans teased that they prefer him with short hair, the accommodating man says that he will cut his hair short for his next fan meet. Sharing a photo that was taken in Singapore last year, he fondly remembers his trip to promote the drama Connect, when he was warmly welcomed by his fans. "The fan meet today feels very different from the others, the fans here are very interactive".
When asked what he will advise his debut self from 10 years ago, "there will be lots of ups and downs in this career, do hang in there and keep going, you'll realize that you are loved by many people" earning claps from his supportive fans.
In the next segment, the thespian displayed the clothes and props that were used in his previous projects. Prompted by Haeiness' enthusiasm, he wore his costumes from DP, One Spring Night and Something in the Rain on stage. When shown an image from Something in the Rain of him having soju, he admits enjoying drinking but controls his alcohol intake.
Among the props, he reveals that he is very attached to a black cap which was worn by his character Lim Soo-ho from Snowdrop. Whenever possible, he tries to bring the props home as memento, once his dramas end, including a beret and boots from DP. The charming man even signed 3 paper planes and 2 bandages (from Snowdrop) to be tossed to the lucky fans.
"All these props and outfits bring me back to the time when I was shooting the dramas. Thinking back, I've really worked so hard all this while."
Among the many roles, although DP's An Jun-ho was very memorable, he is most attached to Snowdrop's Lim Soo-ho, because the character died in the drama.
"I requested for the dying scene to be shot on the last day and I felt regretful after filming the last set when Soo-ho died."
It had been both physically and emotionally challenging, and he cried after the last scene as in his mind, he could no longer see the director, staff, and co-stars, whom he shared a strong camaraderie with, during the 7 months of shooting.
Through DP, Jung saw the world from a different perspective and felt the pain as he went through the shoot. "Working out destresses me and helps me detach from the drama character, after the shooting ends".
Scenes chosen from 8 of his dramas were presented during the third segment, with his fans choosing their favourites prior to the start of the fan meet.
In 8th place was a scene from Goblin, which he cringed, "There's no one in the world who catches a baseball and still stands so upright," laughing at his own awkwardness in this early drama. He shared that he revisited the shooting location for "Tune In for Love," with his mum, where he shot many running scenes. He lamented that this could have led to more running in his recent dramas, especially DP.
The scene from "Prison Playbook" was very challenging as it was a crying scene. As Jung is not one who usually cries, he tries to focus on the character to evoke the emotions.
For "One Spring Night," the actor claims, "Only my fans think that I'm cute, but really, I'm not cute," bringing a round of laughter and disagreement from his fans.
When shown the topless scene from "While You Were Sleeping," he was reminded of his topless scene in Snowdrop too. To prepare for such scenes, "I stay dehydrated for 2 days before the actual shoot, as though I'm going for a UFC fight. After filming, I will make sure to drink lots of water to replenish."
Jung was surprised that DP was ranked 3rd by his fans, since the drama is neither a romance nor melodrama, which are the more popular drama genres. He remembers being stressed during his own military enlistment, and the regulated lifestyle helped him lose a lot of weight, "Hopefully we'll have 'DP3,' with corporal An Jun Ho."
"Snowdrop" left such a strong impression on the emotional actor, who kept reminding fans that he couldn't stop his tears while he was leaving the set after the last shoot. Without a doubt, a scene from the drama Something in the Rain which propelled him to fame, was his fans' favourite. Jung's personal preference was the last scene from DP2, where a recovered Cho Suk-bong visited An Jun-ho at the camp. Cho Suk-bong, who was constantly bullied and harassed by his superiors in the army, had shot himself in the face and attempted suicide at the end of DP1 and had been in a coma.
After serenading the viewers with Stand by your man from Something in the Rain, he shyly shared "maybe for my next drama, I should sing the OST (original sound track). I love to sing and when so many fans tell me that I'm a good singer, it makes me want to sing more. I think I will plan a concert the next time". The multi-talented actor also plays the piano and is a good photographer and cook. The considerate man not only took water for the emcee and translator on stage, he also asked the fans if they had enough water to drink, since they have been shouting throughout the 2 hours, "Singapore Haeiness are the loudest and the most interactive among my fan meets for this Asia tour.
During the games in segment 4, his humanity shines through "the stage is so wide, but it is so fun to be able to see my fans up-close. The director and cameraman must be having a hard time trying to capture me". Even the emcee claims that Jung is the most hardworking actor who walks around the whole stage to ensure that his fans can easily see him. While giving gifts to his fans who participated in the games, he jokingly reminds them not to sell the signed items on carousel.
To reciprocate the love he received, Jung takes an avid interest in his fans' well-being "I don't get the opportunity to meet my fans often, unless during such fan meets. When I meet fans from different cities, it makes me curious what kind of life you are having, so I want to find out more about your stories". Prior to the start of the fan meet, fans were encouraged to submit a letter on how they overcame their own challenges the past years, and the actor picked 2 of the letters to share on stage as well as give his personal items as gifts to these fans. "Even if your story is not selected tonight, be assured that I have read through all those that were sent", the passionate actor indicated. For the fan who had overcome a health scare the previous year and is now excitedly preparing for a trip to Seoul with her parents in November, Jung recommended "there are many mountains in Seoul, which are beautiful during autumn. I hope, if possible, you can go hiking, and maybe I can join you" making the other fans filled with envy.
He shared a meaningful ending thought "When fans tell me that my presence and my dramas help them overcome their difficulties, it makes me work harder to bring you better projects. I get a lot of energy from my fans. I felt really nervous as this is my first fan meet in Singapore, but I believe all of you were cheering at the top of your voice tonight, to help lessen my anxiety. Thank you so much, I'll always think about Singapore Haeiness, so please keep yourself safe, love yourself and be happy. After wrapping up this fan meet tour with an encore in Seoul, I will be preparing for a new drama next year. I hope to be back to meet all of you in the near future", before proceeding with the last song, A Grain of Sand.
Special thanks to Viu for inviting KpopStarz to cover 2023 Jung Hae In's "THE 10TH SEASON: Fan Meeting In Singapore.
Writer: Wang | Photo Credits: Melvin Ng
