Jung Hae-In’s fans love him and we know why
Jean Joanarberlyn Sandoval came in a traditional Korean bride dress, because she promised herself that this time she would wear something special. Jean first attended the Jung Hae-in fan meet in Manila four years ago, and returned in this impressive attire at the recent fan meet of the Korean superstar. “I love him so much!” she passionately claimed.
Jung Hae-in is celebrating his 10-year anniversary in show business by holding a touring fan meeting called The 10th Season, presented by Viu.
His fandom, called Haeiness, came in full force, displaying different ways to show their appreciation for the actor. You could feel the love and dedication of the Filo Haeiness in the New Frontier Theater before, during, and after the show that lasted more than three—probably four —hours.
I got to speak with some of the Haeiness present and got their stories of why they admire this adorable Korean artist.
Will you marry me?
Shaina Seradilla was one of the many fans who donned a wedding veil. She is a relatively new fan of Jung Hae-in and discovered him during the pandemic. She says, “If I could wear an entire wedding gown, I would.” This was her first fan meet and she was very excited.
Another fan who discovered Jung Hae-in during the pandemic is housewife Weni Cruz, who is married to a retired US Navy man. It all started with the K-drama Something in the Rain, and now she has watched all of Jung Hae-in’s work. Her sons treat her to fan meets of stars, and this is her fifth time to attend these types of events.
I spotted a duo taking photos in front of the stage and they were mom and lola fans Kaselyn Torres and Jet Japson Rima. They are longtime Jung Hae-in fans, since his appearance in While You Were Sleeping. They brought with them photos of their child and apo, which they displayed together with a photo of the actor during their pictorials.
I also met friendly fans from the broadcast and entertainment industry who admire the work of the artist, namely Carol Lucio from GMA, Eric Salud from ABS-CBN, and celebrity manager Biboy Arboleda. When asked what their favorite Jung Hae-in K-drama was, Carol answered Something in the Rain, while Biboy likes D.P. Eric prefers D.P. Season 1 and also Something in the Rain.
The most adorable fan to me was probably the oldest in the theater. In one segment of the show, she was a lucky raffle winner who got to go up onstage and interact with Hae In. You could see her kilig as he hugged her and gave her so much attention as the crowd cheered.
This fan meet was special to the fans but to Hae In as well. Aside from celebrating his 10 years in acting, it was also a long-overdue visit to meet his Filipino Haeiness. He kept on saying a sincere “Salamat po” and gave it his all.
There were five segments to the program. He sang a few songs and the fans even sang along with him—in Korean. In a written question-and-answer portion, he was asked, “How old do you plan to marry?” (After all, there were many willing brides present). Well, he has no marriage plans yet and would like to continue focusing on acting.
There was a vote as to what was the fans’ favorite drama, and Something in the Rain got the most votes. He said, “This project was five years ago but I appreciate that you still like it.”
He is aware that many Filipinos are watching his latest drama, which is D.P. Season 2, and it is in the top 10. It is amazing, he says, about the interest, because it is about the Korean military. It is however, number one in Korea, so he encouraged his fans to make it number one here as well, “Fighting!”
There was a segment where he showed outfits or accessories used in his past dramas, including the cap from Snowdrop, and the beret from D.P. Selected lucky fans were able to bring some of it home, as well as gifts he personally purchased. Better yet, they got to have selfies with him onstage and received a warm hug.
The cutest segment was the golf-putting game. New to the sport, Hae In was so into it and emcee Sam Oh was so funny. He just had to put the ball in the hole, which he did once. The emcee at one point kicked the ball in.
A memorable moment was when the fans presented a touching video for Jung Hae-in, and the actor could not help but cry. Yes, it was moving, as it showed that he was their inspiration even during tough times.
The love he was given, he also gave back. The fan meet lasted for two-and-a-half hours, followed by an hour and a half of photo ops and a “goodbye session,” where the entire theater occupants lined up, got close to him, to wave and say goodbye. It looked like he didn’t want to say goodbye, though, but neither did his Filipino Haeiness. It was too magical to end.
