This DVD makes me feel closer to JHJ

These comments on the "Last Story" DVD are by a Jo Hyun-Jae fan. The original is in Chinese and first appears in a personal e-mail. I have Yimi's permission to translate and publish these extracts.

I discover that every time I see Jo Hyun-Jae I can't help but smile. Every move, every gesture of his thrills and delights me -- his sparkling eyes, his occasionally shy expression, his polite and sincere act of listening, a slight smile followed by a serious answer, his little mannerisms like nodding his head, twitching his lips, gesturing with his hand, blinking when he's thinking, and especially that constant lovely smile on those perfect lips. (Editor: Yimi forgets to mention his signature mannerism -- rubbing his nose.)

He touches everyone with his unerring sincerity, his low-key posture, his warmth and elegance, his gracefulness and refinement. I don't know how he could maintain his elegance and exquisiteness. He must have put in a lot of effort and hard work. (Editor: we think it's natural-born.) This DVD makes me feel closer to Hyun-Jae.

The second part on "Photography" is excellent! It shows much more than the photos portray. There are so many brilliant moments. I really envy those who were by his side during the photo session. Hyun-Jae's beauty is not "loud" at all. He casually reveals so much in an instant. He does not need off-beat clothes or make-up. The simplest white shirt can become extraordinary on him.

The last part is the farewell just before he enters the army. He faces his future squarely; he is ready to be a soldier. Facing those he loves and those who love him -- this true love will give him peace of mind on entering the military. His final salute says it all -- he and those who love him will complete this "Last Story" together.

The e-mail ends with:
Because we like the same person, we have become closer to one another, right?

Right, Yimi!

2008 Korea Fan Meeting DVD coming soon

The above photos are from the cover of the Korea Fan Meeting (2008.7.19) DVD that will be released sometime in mid-May.

This is a limited edition of 500 DVDs. The tentative title (translated) is "A happy time in the summer of 2008". The major portion will be devoted to the Korea Fan Meeting in Seoul in July. There will also be a special Bonus feature of the Thailand Fan Meeting in August. Approximate running time: 1 hour 40 minutes. Subtitles will be in English. Price: 20,000 Korean Won (excluding postage.)

(Read about our account of the Korea Fan Meeting in our 3/11/09 posting "The way we were -- the way things were".)

(Photos courtesy of CarpediemKOREA. )

Cry me a river

There is a Chinese saying: "Men don't cry easily." (It sounds much more elegant in Chinese.) When you're good-looking, you look good even when your eyes are puffy, your nose is red, your cheeks are wet, and your face is distorted. When Jo Hyun-Jae sheds tears (in his dramas), how does it affect you?

Can you recognize where these teary scenes are from? (not just the drama but the exact scene.)

(Credit for photos: CarpediemJapan, KBS, SBS. Thanks!)

Great news of JHJ

Wonderful news of Jo Hyun-Jae to share with you! (From EVERKorea)

1. JHJ has quit smoking! This is really a surprise because most soldiers smoke like chimneys (from boredom and stress, we guess) and peer pressure is hard to resist. In March we sent JHJ a very graphic photo (in colour) of two lungs: a healthy lung and a lung ravaged by cancer. We were shocked when we saw the photo and hoped to shock him too.

2. He has decided to remain as a regular soldier and not to apply to be an "entertainment soldier." (Many actors and singers currently serving in the Korean military are "entertainment soldiers.") We are so proud of you, JHJ! Your two years in the army will be an invaluable experience for you.


Here are more news (from Lee Bo Young's Chinese website 2009.4.27. Thanks!)

"Seo Dong Yo" has been showing on the TV channel YOSHLAR in Uzbekistan since December 2008 and is proving very popular.

The lead actress Lee Bo Young was interviewed on April 23 by the state television broadcasting station of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in a special programme on Korean stars organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism.

SDY and JHJ are well-known in Central Asia, imagine that!

Everything you want to know about JHJ (and much, much more)

(50 Q & A -- from KBOOM, November 2007)

1. How do you relieve stress and make yourself feel better?
A. Exercise.

2. What's the one thing that you feel something is amiss if you don't have it with you?
A. My cell phone.

3. How many hours do you normally sleep?
A. 2-3 hours when filming and 6-7 hours when not.

4. Are you able to not laze in bed in the morning?
A. If there's an alarm clock, yes.

5. What do you do when you cannot sleep?
A. Watch DVD or listen to music.

6. What do you wear when you sleep?
A. Loose, comfortable sportswear and shorts.

7. Which part of your body do you feel is the best?
A. My shoulders.

8. Do you have any photos or posters of yourself in your room?
A. No big ones, just a couple of small ones.

9. What would make you depressed during the day?
A. When there is a delay in my schedule.

10. Do you believe in instinct?
A. A little.

11. Can you see your dreams clearly?
A. Dreams are not clear.

12. What were you in your last life?
A. Should be .....an actor....

13. If tomorrow is the end of the world, whom would you like to be with today and what would you like to eat?
A. I'd like to be with the person (people) I love and we'll go to eat all the good food.

14. If you become invisible, where would you go?
A. Go shopping in a crowded department store.

15. If there's a Time Machine, where would you go?
A. To the future.

16. What kind of animal do you like?
A. Short-legged dog (spaniel). (Editor: JHJ's pet dog is a spaniel.)

17. If you were to liken yourself to an animal, what would it be?
A. A chameleon.

18. What do you hate most?
A. Being disturbed when I'm concentrating.

19. What do you think is the most horrible thing in this world?
A. Nothing is so horrible; it just makes you unhappy.

20. What is the ring tone in your cell phone?
A. Just the default one.

21. When you watch TV or movies, do you laugh or cry easily, or.....?
A. I watch quietly and appreciate what I'm watching.

22. If other people put you down, will you speak your mind or suffer in silence?
A. I'll endure it.

23. How much do you have in your wallet now?
A. About 130,000 Korean Won. (Editor: Around US$270.)

24. When you go out to dinner, do you treat more or are you treated more?
A. I pay most of the time.

25. When you go on a date, do you arrive first or last?
A. I always arrive first.

26. If you grow old, do you imagine your figure will become fat or........
A. I'd like to be the way I look now.

27. What kind of alcohol do you like?

A. Wine and champagne.

28. Are you more the literary type? or mathematical type?
A. More literary.

29. When you were young, have you ever made anything big?
A. I made a plastic model when I was a child.

30. When you were a student, what were your best and worst subjects?
A. I was best at reciting anything; I didn't have any bad subjects.

31. When did you last shed tears?
A. On set (during filming.)

32. Recently were you ever shy?
A. Not in my memory.

33. What are the nice things you say to your male and female friends?
A. To male friends: "Men are right, after all." To female friends: "You look lovelier and lovelier."

34. In a group photo where do you usually stand?
A. Usually in the centre.

35. When you go out with a woman, do you walk on her right or left?
A. Depends on the occasion.

36. What presents did you give your mother on Mother's Day and her birthday?
A. Health food.

37. Which is your favourite among your mother's dishes?
A. I like them all.

38. What do you think of the saying: "Housework is for women"?
A. I do not think like that.

39. What do you hope for now?
A. There are too many things I'm hoping for........

40. What kind of woman do you dislike?
A. Those who pretend to be overly kind.

41. When you want to say something to someone, do you choose to meet or use telephone or mail?
A. I would prefer to see the person and do it face to face.

42. If you and your good friend happen to like someone at the same time, what would you do?
A. Perhaps I'll let him have his way.

43. Do you like red roses or white roses more?
A. Red roses.

44. What do you think of suddenly being embraced by a woman?
A. Don't quite understand the question.

45. How many children do you want after you get married?
A. A boy and a girl.

46. Are you a good cook? Where are your signature dishes?
A. I can cook all basic dishes.

47. After you get married, what do you want your wife to make for the first meal?
A. Korean dishes.

48. What is your favourite Japanese saying?
A. "You have only one chance in life, so always do your best."

49. Do you read Japanese comics and access Japanese websites?
A. Only when I'm searching for something on the internet.

50. Do you love your fans?
A. Of course!

To my dearly beloved son

(Letter from Han Yi Joon to Jin Sol)

You are six when we first met. I did not know about you before then.

Your Mom and I had a brief encounter in Venice. Brief but sweet! We did not see each other again until seven years later.

I thought of her often during this time. I wondered what happened to her. Did she marry that oafish fellow who burst into her apartment that morning and punched me on the chin? She deserves better than that.

My life these seven years has been a blank. I drifted from one project to another, one affair to another -- pursuing a life without focus.

One day I saw your Mom again -- in the most unlikely place-- crouching on the floor of a restaurant. Your Mom has this knack of finding herself in awkward situations. Her doe eyes have the same beauty but have lost their sparkle. Seems life has not been kind to her. She tried to avoid me but I wasn't going to let her go again.

I needed her to help me with my restaurant (she's a terrific chef!) Actually I needed her to be by my side. Cha Eun Jae is the same stubborn, aggravating, contrarian, provocative, unreasonable, defiant and yet irresistible girl who followed me around and talked a lot in Venice. But she helped me find your Grandmama in Vicenza and she could cook spaghetti just like your Grandmama. Can you believe we once spent a whole day in the country because your Mom wanted to get some special garlic to cook something?

I was shocked when I discovered your Mom living with that fellow. I was even more shocked when I saw they had a son -- you. But your Mom said they were just living under the same roof and he was not your father, and I believed her. Why didn't she marry the father? I asked her. She gave me a funny look.

One day when I came looking for your Mom, I saw you playing in the front yard of your house. You are so cute, so sweet, so well-mannered -- a credit to your Mom. You remind me of myself when I was your age. But you are luckier than me because at your age I have already lost my mother.

Your Mom is driving me crazy. I have never felt this way about a woman before. She tugs at my heart-strings. I want to see her every day. I need her to be with me. But she is playing hard to get. She never listens to me. She doesn't care about my feelings. She calls me spoilt, selfish, arrogant, and unfeeling. She says I of all people have no right to judge her and she owes me nothing. I'm willing to accept her as a single mother, even pretend that you are my son. What more does she want? What more can I do?

Remember that day when I came to your house and you let me in? You were so tired you fell asleep on my lap on the bench in the front yard. Good thing your Mom soon came to my rescue. Fleeting emotions on her face ranged from surprise to tenderness to sorrow, ending in tears. Why was she over-reacting? I didn't move even when my thighs were numb from the weight of your head so as not to awake you.

It was like a thunderbolt hit me when I learnt that you are my son -- the son I never knew, the son your Mom raised all by herself. I cannot describe the emotions that raced through me in quick succession -- shock, guilt, joy, disbelief, fear, anger, ecstasy......A son! You are my son! How could your Mom have kept it from me all these years? I have lost all this precious time with you. I want to tell you at once, but your Mom says you need time.

During this waiting period I see you with that man all the time. You two are so chummy; I am so jealous. It should be me holding your hand. It should be me buying you ice-cream.

One day over dinner I could no longer hold it in. "Jin Sol, I am your Dad." Instead of flying into my arms, you burst into tears and hid in your Mom's bosom. Your Mom was so mad with me, but I didn't understand what I did wrong. I was just claiming my rightful place as your Dad.

I was willing to do anything for you and your Mom. I could give up everything, but your Mom, ever practical, asked how we're going to live. I could work -- that's the least I could do.

Everybody tried to tear us apart, but I could be as stubborn and tough as your Mom. I asked her to trust me; I would make it right for you both. I had a plan. I could save your Grandpapa's empire as well as keep our family together.

Your Grandpapa will love you. You are his first grandkid, his only grandson. He may look stern but he really has a soft heart.

Everything will be fine. Your Mom and I and you are a family. Nothing can change that; nobody can separate us. I want to make it up to you and your Mom. You are the most precious things in my life. You are the best things that ever happened to me. We'll take you to Vicenza to see your Grandmama. We'll revisit that place where your Mom and I first met and fell in love.

I love you, my son.

(Photo courtesy of Baidu JHJ Bar)

Summer Kisses, Winter Tears

Remember this oldie?

Summer kisses, winter tears
Like the stars they fade away
Leaving me to spend my lonely nights
With dreams of yesterday

There are not many kissing scenes in Jo Hyun-Jae's dramas which mostly end up in his not getting the girl, for one reason or another (sigh!) But the few that occur are very sweet and tender, and we would like to share them with you.

Why are there 3 photos from "Seo Dong Yo" (even though it's not a "kissy" drama)? Because our resident SDY expert (aka M) insists on including all 3 kissing scenes. Actually they are the ONLY kisses in SDY. The last one looks.....uh.....a little forced, but M must have her way!

Which is your favourite JHJ kiss?

(Credit: See names on photos. Thanks!)

There are no villains in "Seo Dong Yo"?

Interesting thesis, but it doesn't hold water.

What is a villain? A bad guy, an evil person, a wicked woman. (Yes, it could be a woman*) Unless they are born freaks, very few people are inherently evil, but are shaped by their experiences in life. Giroo in "Seo Dong Yo" is one such. Quote:"He is smart, intelligent, and so human." Agreed. So smart and intelligent that he plans his future with absolute precision.

Our first glimpse of Giroo is a boy whose place at the ritual ceremony in the court of Shilla is taken by another. He sees Seo Dong as an usurper, and everything he does from that moment on is to reclaim his right. We next see him in "negotiation" with the King of Shilla. He offers to spy for Shilla -- good loyal subject. But, this is in exchange for the hand of Princess Sunhwa. I find this scene very unnerving -- two men (one hardly one yet) talking terms (each with his own agenda), using the Princess as the "chips". The King is the greater "villain" here -- he is using both the boy and his own daughter. I doubt if he ever means to honour the agreement. But there is something devious and calculating about Giroo asking for the Princess as his reward. I do not find any evidence to suggest that Giroo has loved the Princess since he is a child. She doesn't even seem to know him. He loves a princess, not Sunhwa. He feels he is entitled to her, and this is very offputting (to me, anyway.) To Giroo, love is possession. He wants to be the Queen's Consort (if/when Sunhwa inherits the throne, and he'll do everything to make sure she does, I bet.) Later, when he is firmly entrenched in Baekjae as Buyusun's right-hand man, if Princess Woo Young would have him, I suspect he wouldn't mind. He just wants to marry a princess, any princess.

Quote:"When Giroo was spying at Haneulchae, he was during no real evil." He is biding his time. He befriends Seo Dong because he wants an ally, maybe a follower. He sows the seeds of discord and he plants suspicion against Seo Dong. The Baekjae exiles are nursing a snake in their bosoms and do not know it. Giroo uses people; he exploits their kindness and goodness. They treat him like a brother, but he would not hesitate to wipe them out to advance his own scheme. Yes, he is a schemer, but for all his meticulous scheming, he is no match for Seo Dong's innocence and goodness and wisdom.

When Giroo discovers that Seo Dong is the one the Princess is in love with, his jealousy and fury erupt. He feels absolutely outraged -- he is so sure of himself that he finds it an insult that the Princess should prefer Seo Dong to him. Actually the Princess only has eyes for Seo Dong; she is not even aware of Giroo's existence. Giroo's unrequited love for the Princess drives him to embark on his epic journey of revenge. I understand Giroo's motives, but most men who are rejected do not go on a killing spree.

Here are the indictments against Giroo:

~He is a thief -- he steals Baekjae's "Book of Knowledge" and the secrets of their arts and crafts, techniques and inventions. He betrays their trust in him and robs a country of its most precious assets (now called "intellectual property".)

~He is a murderer -- he kills the Crown Prince, the King, and hundreds of citizens of Baekjae. True, he is acting under orders from Buyusun, but he has a choice. Once he makes the choice, he is launched on his journey of no return. Human beings have to live with the consequences of their actions.

~He attempts to kill Moraksu -- he thinks he has succeeded and even taunts Seo Dong about it.

~Nothing would give Giroo greater pleasure than to kill Seo Dong too (and not from lack of trying.)

Like Buyusun, Giroo believes the end justifies the means. He would do anything to achieve his ambition. But I think in the course of this pursuit, he has lost sight of his objective. He claims to love the Princess, but he treats her most ungallantly. He threatens her; he blackmails her; he tries everything in his power to kill the man she loves. At some point he loses his perspective -- he cannot even distinguish between the means and the end. One bad deed leads to another -- after a certain point, DOING bad has become his nature of BEING bad.

Character is destiny. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus' maxim applies admirably here -- "A man's character is his fate." The kind of person that Giroo is determines his destiny. He blames everything on external circumstances; he chastises other people for doing him wrong. But not everybody in the same boat as he would do half of what he did. And those are not ordinary crimes that he commits -- regicide, for one. I feel there is a certain flaw, a tragic flaw (just like the Greek tragic heroes) in Giroo -- hubris (pride, arrogance.) Pride comes before a fall -- this old English saying holds true in his case. He is brimming with self-confidence; he trusts his own judgement and no one else. He does not have the humility to admit he has made mistakes. Had his life been smooth sailing, Giroo could have become a notable aristocrat. But once it hits a snag, he snaps. He does not have the innate strength and integrity (that Seo Dong has.) They grow up under very different circumstances, of course. Giroo has been born to privilege and wealth; Seo Dong has known nothing but hardship and poverty. Giroo's character has never been tested until he becomes a spy for Shilla. He has the ability, no doubt about that, but he does not have the rectitude (that Seo Dong has to sustain him through thick and thin.) As time goes on and he sinks deeper and deeper into the abyss, all Giroo has to keep him going is revenge, and even that has a hollow ring to it.

"What one cannot avoid is not fate. What one can avoid but still chooses to go down that path, that's fate." What Seo Dong says applies to Giroo too. So many times in the course of the drama Seo Dong pleads with him to give up, to turn back. Even at the very end, when Giroo tries to assassinate Seo Dong, now King Mu, who again gives him a final chance to save his skin, he still would not quit. He says it is too late, and perhaps it is. No one who has done what he did could live with those "sins" on his conscience.

Giroo is a well-drawn, well-developed character, and Ryu Jin plays him with subtlety and earnestness. He is the perfect foil to Seo Dong, the antagonist vs the protagonist, the anti-hero vs the hero. Notice I did not call him a "villain" -- he is a three-dimensional figure, a very "human" being. Some stock villains in dramas have the word "VILLAIN" carved on their foreheads (you know what I mean.) But you see Giroo "becoming" a miscreant and you understand how and why that happens. Still, it doesn't excuse him in any way. No, I don't hate Giroo. I even feel sorry for him. But I still think he's a bad guy. And I would avoid him like the plague.

P.S. What's this ludicrous idea that Princess Sunhwa would live longer if she married Giroo? Who can play God? If she could not marry Seo Dong, I think Sunhwa would end her days in a nunnery.

(* There's a woman in SDY that I detest. Guess who? Answer in later posting.)

There are no villains in "Seo Dong Yo"

This is the thesis of our resident expert on SDY.

In every TV drama, there must be some 'bad guys'. Obviously, their function is to bring out the goodness of the 'good guys'. Hence, such villains are usually brutal, malicious or even schizophrenic. In "Seo Dong Yo", there are also some 'bad guys' such as Sa Taek Giroo, Buyosun and Heuk Chi Pyeong. However, unlike other dramas, these characters are so well-developed that the audience can really empathise with them and feel sorry instead of hating them (a big credit to the scriptwriter).

In this TV series, the number one enemy of Jang is no doubt Sa Taek Giroo, his first friend or even admirer from Haneulchae. (Remember, Giroo was the first one who found the potential in Jang and persuaded Moraksu to reinstate him.) Giroo, the hwarang (flower boy) from Shilla, offered himself to become a spy in exchange for his marriage to Princess Sunhwa, the girl he had loved since he was a child. When Giroo was spying at Haneulchae, he was doing no real evil. His world turned upside down when he discovered that the Princess was in love with Jang, a humble technician and an outcast from the society. Giroo was mad because Jang was not following the social rules i.e. how could Jang even dream of loving a princess.

When Giroo was mistakenly taken back to Taehaksa after his injury, he was ready to give up and decided to go back to Shilla. Unfortunately, his entire family was then expelled by the King of Shilla due to a bitter power struggle. Giroo had no choice but to return to Taehaksa. In order to take revenge on Jang and Princess Sunhwa and to survive in the enemy country, Giroo had to choose a master who could bring him power and status. He decided to follow Buyosun, the utlimate enemy of Muraksu and Jang.

As Buyosun's lieutenant, Giroo had committed many crimes and the most unforgivable ones were the murders of Prince Aja and King Weeduk of Baekjae and the massacre at the market. Giroo was shocked when Buyosun ordered him to kill all the people at the market to cover the murder of King Weeduk. Giroo carried out the order reluctantly and he could never forgive himself for doing that. Despite numerous warnings from Jang, Giroo continued to do all the dirty work for Buyosun. Deep in his mind, Giroo must regret what he was doing. However, he was too arrogant to admit his mistake. Again, his ego has led to his failure.

While Giroo was in Baekjae, he was living in constant fear that one day his real identity would be discovered. As a man with no country, no family and even no nationality, Giroo was terribly insecure. Such insecurity really drove him crazy. In order to keep the secret, Giroo had to get rid of all the ones who knew about his identity, i.e. Princess Sunhwa and Jang.

Another debatable point about Giroo is whether he really loved Princess Sunhwa. Someone said that the difference between Giroo and Jang is that the former loved Princess Sunhwa as a princess whereas the latter loved Princess Sunhwa as Sunhwa. Giroo used Princess Sunhwa as a means to climb the social ladder. However, such marriage of convenience is a social norm in ancient times and is still not uncommon in the modern day. I believe that Giroo loved Princess Sunhwa to a certain extent. As Giroo said just before he died, he had once loved a girl although that was long time ago and that memory had already faded away.

All in all, Giroo is a tragic character. Although he could not blame anyone but himself for his failure, one cannot help but feel sorry for him as he was smart, intelligent and so human. I even shed a few tears when he died.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

(P.S. There was a discussion in one of the Chinese internet forums suggesting that Princess Sunhwa would definitely live longer if she married Giroo. What an interesting thought! But what is the meaning of life if you marry a man you don't love and have a long life?)

(Credit: photo from http://blog. naver.com/yeonlotus)

Funny poses of JHJ

Jo Hyun-Jae can strike the most unbelievable poses and still look incredibly, breathtakingly gorgeous. You don't believe me? What do you make of these?

Hold it!

What is he picking up?

So?

I am a traffic policeman.

Holding air?
(Editor: The heart is added by a fan.)

What is my next move?

Doing the pirouette? (1)

Doing the pirouette? (2)

What the heck am I doing?

Angie's favourite photo -- you name it!

Sorry! Our inspiration ran out for the last two photos. A prize awaits anyone who can come up with the best caption (for either photo) in our judgement. (Our decision is final.)

(Credit: see names on photos. Thanks!)

Everything you want to know about JHJ (and much more)

From cafe.daum.net/hyunjaelove (CAFE Korea) in August 2007

On the 6th anniversary of CAFE, Jo Hyun-Jae answers questions from his fans -- everything you want to know about him, and more.

1. Q. JHJ's vital statistics. Height (Are you 180cm.? You look taller lately.)
A. I'd like to be taller, but I'm still 180 cm.
Shoe size -- around 275; leather shoes -- 270.
Tops -- 95-100. Trousers-- 32.

2. Q. What do you think of your fans' social work activities? (If there's a chance, would you join such fans' activities?)
A. I feel very proud and pleased my fans are doing such meaningful work. I should plan to do some good work myself.

3. Q. What perfume* do you use regularly? (*Editor: should be "cologne")
A. Almost never. Whatever I come across.

4. Q. What kind of food do you like?
A. Korean, Western, Japanese -- I like them all.

5. Q. What book do you find most moving?
A. The 4 great tragedies of Shakespeare.

6. Q. What is your daily consumption of tobacco and alcohol?
A. Half a pack of cigarettes a day. As for alcohol, I drink about once every two months, but I drink a lot each time.

7. Q. What do you do when you're alone?
A. Read, exercise, watch DVDs.

8. Q. If there's a next life, what do you want to do?
A. Be an actor.

9. Q. What is your dream at birth? (Editor: I'm not sure I understand this question.)
A. A big bathtub full of water, floating in the blue and green water.

10. Q. Do you read all your fan mail?
A. Yes, I try to read them all. Every time I read a letter from a fan, it gives me great strength.

11. Q. In your dramas, what kind of hairstyle do your favour?
A. Depends. I like both short and long hair.

12. Q. What is your latest problem/trouble?
A. Trouble is trying to act in some good dramas for viewers.

13. Q. Which actor would you like to work with?
A. Too many to list, because there are just too many good actors.

14. Q. What is your style? (hairstyle, clothes, etc.)
A. Casual -- T-shirt and jeans.

15. Q. Do you still like rainy days?
A. Yes, but I also like fine days.

16. Q. What do you love most?
A. Family, work, people I like, fans, etc.

17. Q. What fruits do you like most?
A. Almost all fruits, but especially grapes, apple, and pear.

18. Q. Where do you want to travel or which place made a deep impression during your previous travels?
A. Italy remains in my mind. I'd like to go there again.

19. Q. When did you learn to ride the bicycle?
A. I mastered the two-wheeled kind when I was around 5.

20. Q. When did you get your driver's licence?
A. When I was 18.

21. Q. You act very well in crying scenes. Is it difficult to shed tears on the screen?
A. Actually, yes. To be able to do it more naturally I'm trying harder.

22. Q. What is your favourite season?
A. Spring.

23. Q. When do you feel sexiest?
A. Sweating after exercising.

24. Q. Do you like driving at high speed? What is your highest speed?
A. I don't like driving at high speed.

25. Q. At home how do you call your parents? And how do they call you?
A. Father. Mama. / Son. That's it.

26. Q. Do you like coffee? What kind?
A. Caffe Latte or the sweet kind. (Editor: Mocha?)

27. Q. You seem to like jeans and baseball caps a lot. How many do you have?
A. About 30 pairs of jeans and 30-40 caps.

28. Q. Fans request that you dance during fan meeting. Will you do it?
A. Well........

29. Q. Your martial arts acting is pretty good. Are you good in real-life fighting?
A. I haven't really fought much. Martial arts acting is based on what I learnt in aikido, coupled with more practice to improve my acting.

30. Q. You sing very well too. Do you plan to release a CD? (or OST)
A. I intend to sing a couple of songs in OST.

31. Q. If you were to shoot a commercial, what kind would you do?
A. Automobiles.

32. Q. If you win the lotto, what would you do?
A. Do some good deeds, then buy some things I want to buy -- just ordinary stuff.

33. Q. Whom do you resemble more -- your father or your mother?
A. Half/half.

34. Q. Do you still have friends from childhood?
A. From primary school.

35. Q. When you're physically and mentally exhausted, whom do you think of first, family or friends?
A. Family.

36. Q. What is your ideal girl?
A. Bright, pretty (not necessarily in looks.)

37. Q. Use your own name to write a 3-line poem.
A. 조: 조현재는
현: 현재뿐만 아니라 항상
재: 제(재)일 열심히 하는 모습 보여드릴 수 있도록 노력하겠습니다.
Jo: Jo Hyun-Jae is
Hyun: not just now
Jae: always does his best and gives his all


Until we meet again, be happy and healthy.
Love to see you all again.


(THE END)

"Only You" TV Special

http://johyunjae.s217.sureserver.com/thread-7193-1-1.html

This "Only You" TV Special on "Night Heart" YSMM (2005.5.30 / 43:39 minutes) has become a classic. Every Jo Hyun-Jae fan has seen it countless times. But it still manages to make you laugh every single time. And you fall in love with JHJ all over again every time you watch him on this show. This is the real JHJ, not acting in a drama. He is just being himself, and in so doing, reveals a side of him that is so genuine, so guileless, so effortlessly amusing, so unwittingly cute that you want to hug him. He says later that he regrets it, and you never see him speak so freely or so much in public again.

To help those who do not understand the Chinese subtitles, I have put the minutes at the start of each topic which I hope will help you follow the programme. I have only translated the parts that relate to JHJ.

00:45
JHJ introduced by MC as "gentle and tender and loved by all women".

03:55
Actress #2 in OY says she met JHJ at Italian airport and greeted him but he ignored her. MC to JHJ: "How could you?" JHJ raises his hand in protest. Turned out she mistook someone else for JHJ.

05:30
MC to actress #2: "Do you like JHJ's type of guy?" Actress #2: "Yes." MC to JHJ: "She says she likes you; you should say "Thank you." JHJ to actress #2: "Thank you!"

05:55
MC to JHJ: "Please list Han Chao Young's good and bad points." JHJ: "She's very comfortable to be with and she takes care of others." to which Han remarks: "He means he doesn't take me for a girl." MC: "What about her bad points?" JHJ: "Well.....most actresses are shy in public, e.g. when they put on the microphone, they would turn aside. But Han just lifts up her T-shirt and thrusts the mic up to her neck." While he is demonstrating this, Han keeps hitting him to try to shut him up.

07:15
Han explains that it happened during filming of the scene they meet on the train in Venice in OY. Technicians were not allowed on because space was limited, so she had to do it herself. She had never put on a microphone before, and as she was struggling with it, she accidentally revealed her navel (apparently shocking JHJ.)

07:40
To appease her, JHJ returns to Han's good points: "She's really good-natured, very direct and straightforward." MC: "What about actress #2?" JHJ: "Well.....she's also very comfortable to be with." MC: "Bad points?" JHJ: "........(at a loss for words)." MC: "How about actress #3?" JHJ scratches his head: "I don't really know....." then "I'm going out of my mind!"

12:00
The guy with glasses in the short-sleeved pink shirt is a famous MC; he claims he's the one who discovered JHJ (maybe he's joking here.) He says: "JHJ is a very quiet person; all of a sudden he's speaking so much here. He has great comic talent!"

12:40
The actors are answering questions from the audience. Q: "What would you do for someone you love?" Han has earlier said how she fasted for her boyfriend. Now it is JHJ's turn and he says: "I'm shy and not very romantic in love. Once I went to buy lingerie for my girlfriend. I was very nervous and sweating profusely. I wanted to get out of the shop as quickly as possible, so I just grabbed one." MC: "But they come in different sizes." JHJ: "I told the shopgirl my girlfriend is 167 cm. tall and weighs 49 kg." Wow! perfect figure! everyone exclaims.

15:20
After the other men have related their experiences in lingerie shops, MC turns to JHJ: "Is the size right?" JHJ: "The bottom fits." to great laughter!

15:45
MC to JHJ again: "What about the top? Is it too big or too small?" Before JHJ could answer, the other MCs clobber the guy.

Then JHJ wonders: "Why is the draught blowing at me?"

18:18
After actor #2 reveals how he once shed blood for his girlfriend, MC asks JHJ if he has ever done that, and he says "Yes, when I had a fight with my girlfriend" to everyone's surprise. MC: "Blood was shed between you and your girlfriend?" JHJ hastens to add: "It's not like that." Under the MC's probing, it turns out that JHJ and his girlfriend quarrelled, she left, he called her, she refused to come back, so in anger he hit something and hurt his hand. The MC then makes fun of him and pretends to re-enact scene of the angry JHJ hitting the wall.

19:45
JHJ: "Is my answer OK?" Everybody laughs. Man in pink shirt: "JHJ is a funny guy!"

20:15
MC: "You can give another answer." JHJ: "OK! My girlfriend wanted me to quit smoking, so I did." Somebody remarks: "He has such good skin. You can tell he doesn't smoke." MC to JHJ: "Do you smoke now?" JHJ: "Yes." MC: "You should apologise to your girlfriend." JHJ: "I want to quit, but it's not easy. Every time we quarrel, I start smoking again." Remarks say: "Such a truthful and honest fellow!" The MC then mimics JHJ again -- shouting, hitting wall, smoking .......to great laughter.

21:51
JHJ: "Why do you keep blowing on my head?" MC: "Don't you watch our show?" JHJ: "Not much." MC: "Only you. (Editor: meaning JHJ is the only one who doesn't watch this very popular show.) Say something about OY on this show." JHJ: "I like it very much."

26:30
Han has said she once flew from Beijing (where she's filming a drama) to Seoul for a day just to see her boyfriend. MC asks JHJ: "Have you ever done anything like that?" to which he replies: "All of my girlfriends are in Seoul." MC: "South of the Han River or North?" JHJ: "From South of the Han River to North of the Han River." (Editor: The Han River runs through the heart of Seoul [which is divided into N. and S. of the river] before merging with another river and flowing into the Yellow Sea.)

30:13
MC asks if JHJ has made paper storks and other handicrafts for his girlfriend (obviously a Korean custom) and he says: "No, not once." MC (incredulous): "Never?" JHJ: "Never." MC: "Then what have you done for your girlfriend?" JHJ: "I once stayed up all night for her." MC: "All night?" JHJ: "From 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. of the next day, in front of her house." MC: "What's so important?" JHJ: "We quarrelled." Everybody laughs. MC: "You stayed in one position? Did you kneel?" JHJ: "I sat." MC: "You sat?" JHJ: "How could I stand all this time?" Everybody marvels at his truthful and commonsensical answers.

33:10
MC to JHJ: "How do you make your girlfriend laugh again after angering her?" Han to JHJ (pretending to be his girlfriend) : muttering some reproach -- about which someone remarks she does not sound like a girlfriend, more like a sister, so she tries a different approach. JHJ tries to pacify her but she rejects him. JHJ puts up his face: "OK, it's my fault. Hit me here." patting his cheek. Han ignores him, so JHJ lays on the charm. He moves nearer to her and utters these endearing syllables: "Ngai... ngai...." To the roar of laughter, JHJ hides his face, overcome with embarrassment.

34:40
MC to JHJ: "Have you ever fought for your girlfriend?" JHJ: "Yes." MC: "How many were you up against?" JHJ: "Depends. If there are too many, I run away." Laughter from audience. MC: "How many?" JHJ: "If there are 3 or 4, I'd run away. If there are 2, I'd stay and fight, because I can take some blows."

38:30
JHJ reveals that on a special day he carries his girlfriend on his back to her apartment on the 17th floor. Everybody gasps: 17th floor? MC: "Up or down?" JHJ: "Up." MC: "Why not use the elevator?" JHJ: "To show that I love her." to a collective "a..a..h..." of appreciation from the audience.

39:30
MC to JHJ: "Would you change your eating habits for your girlfriend? For example, if you're always eating rice, would you switch to bread?" JHJ: "Just eat bread? Bread is OK." then "No rice at all? At least one meal of rice a day." He does not seem to understand why everybody is laughing.

41:26
JHJ reveals another incidence of what he would do for his girlfriend. She is moving and her house has a big backyard with lots of vegetables. JHJ helps with working the field. He says he doesn't really have to do that, but since he is her boyfriend, he should do the hard work for love. MC: "Yes, work like a mule for love!" JHJ's answer puts the show at #1 -- apparently everybody likes this answer.

43:39
THE END

This is vintage JHJ -- throughout the show he answers all questions truthfully and directly, very often at his own expense, as evidenced by the laughter he elicits. He seems like a wide-eyed little boy in an amusement park, fascinated by everything he sees and everyone he meets. He doesn't quite understand the rules but he plays by them, even though he gets blown at and laughed at (in a good-natured way.) It's a pity that he never opens himself up like this again. But this one-off show defines JHJ in a way that none of his dramas does.

(Photos 1: Courtesy of CAFEKorea. Link to video via johyunjaeChina, thanks!)
(Others photos: //blog.fc2.com; http://gall.dcinside.com; www.johyunjae.hk)

We have found a website that has English subtitles, but you have to download a software first.

Here is the link to Veoh.

http://www.veoh.com/search/videos/q/ya+shim+man+man+114#watch%3Dv1383909gAYa9rDF

(P.S. I cannot access this site, but my blog partner [in a different part of the world] can, so you have a 50/50 chance.)

"G.P.506" -- the ending

"G.P.506" premiered in March 2008 and was shown in Korean cinemas from April 3. It went straight to No.1, did reasonably well at the box office, and was attended by an audience of nearly a million. I bought the DVD when I went to the Korea Fan Meeting in July. The quality is excellent, needless to say, and the English subtitles are very professional. But.....

I don't like the ending of "G.P.506". I don't like the way the Jo Hyun-Jae character dies -- like a dog! If I were the director, I wouldn't let him die. Not because it breaks my heart, but because I have a better ending.

The most horrifying ending of any "horror" movie I've seen is that of "The Omen" (the original one, all the sequels cannot live up to it.) The cherubic little boy (son of Satan) is taken in by his uncle, the President of the U.S.A., after he has killed his parents and all who stand in the way (without anyone suspecting, of course.) The final frame shows the boy with the face of an angel turning his head and smiling into the camera. It's the sweetest smile but it sends shivers down my spine. Imagine the havoc this boy can wreak from the White House!

Now if I were to re-write the ending of "G.P.506", I would dispense with all the violence. The shoot-out between the infected and the not-yet-infected gets tedious after five minutes. The final BIG BANG is melodramatic and, worse, predictable. If I were the scriptwriter, I would not kill the JHJ character. The unidentified disease has a dormant period during which the affected appears normal. All the others can die, but I would have the JHJ character, the lone survivor, discharged from G.P.506 (because certified OK), then re-deployed to another guard post. My last scene will show the JHJ character reporting for duty, say, at G.P.438. The implications are obvious. The horrific cycle will begin all over again. The JHJ character is the carrier of the unknown "virus" which will spread violence and death in the new camp.

Horror that is depicted has the advantage of visual impact. Everything is shown on the screen and the viewer just accepts what his eyes see. But the most spine-chilling kind of horror is not that which can be seen, but that which can be felt. Suggestion is more potent than outright depiction: stimulating the viewer's imagination can induce greater horror.

"G.P.506" has a "closed ending" -- we know everything is finished. An "open ending", on the other hand, opens up possibilities and leaves it up to the viewer's imagination. I can see the JHJ character as the carrier of the unknown virus inflicting damage and destruction in the new guard post. As long as the "virus" is not identified, the horror cycle can perpetuate forever.

But perhaps this kind of ending is too sophisticated for the average viewer. The narrative method of the movie may already pose a problem for some viewers -- the constant flashbacks and flash forwards, the weaving back and forth, the shift in time, truth vs. lies, reality vs. fantasy may have confused some viewers. Most viewers want to know what happened; they do not like to be left dangling in mid-air. They want this thing to be concluded; they do not want it to go on. They want to leave the cinema with certainty, not doubt and confusion.

The movie has been successful in its creation of atmosphere and build-up of suspense. The darkness contributes to the gloom and doom. We follow the investigating officer in his discovery of part and parcel of the truth -- the more he knows, the lesss he knows, paradoxically. He is nowhere nearer the truth halfway through the movie than at the beginning. But somewhere along the way (about 2/3 in the course of the movie), I sense a shift in focus. Discovery of the truth is no longer the prime objective; resolution of the problem takes precedence. Hence the final explosion that engulfs everyone and everything.

We know the shooting of this movie was interrupted in mid-2007. It finally got completed with new financial backing. Did the new money come with a mandate to wrap up the project ASAP? Pure speculation on my part. But the shift is easily detectable -- the first 2/3 of the movie is more artistic, the last 1/3 pure sensation. The explosive ending is deliberately sensational and perhaps inevitable, but not necessarily a natural outcome of the first part.

"G.P.506" is an ambitious project, and, as such, I would give it an A- overall. It's not the best Korean movie on the demilitarized zone that I've seen -- that would be Lee Byun-Hyun's "JSA". Just as the creation of atmosphere is very successful, its characterization of the main players is also convincing. The lead actor, the investigator, is very good in holding the parts together. JHJ's character is most impressive on his first (delayed) appearance, and this is a breakthrough in acting for Hyun-Jae. He proves he can hold our attention even when his handsome features are covered in dirt. He is no longer the same guy as that in "Love Letter", "Sunshine", or "Only You". He has become 1st Lieutenant Yoo; he is totally in character. My only complaint is: he appears too little, and he sort of fizzles out in the end. I don't like the way the director/scriptwriter disposes of the JHJ character -- seems he doesn't matter anymore and is just gotten rid of (shot dead.) Someone who would do anything to survive should not die like a dog. This is definitely a flaw, and not because I'm a JHJ fan.

I have one lingering question in my mind after watching "G.P.506" -- Is it worth it for Hyun-Jae to devote one whole year of his life to making this movie?

A photo that mesmerizes me

Here is Angie* waxing lyrical over a photo. The following is originally in Chinese and was first published on johyunjaeChina on 2009.4.8.

I have some free time today, so I pore over his photos again, and I discover one could be very greedy looking at photos. From his very early photos when he's looking green, to his lovely photos of daily life, to all kinds of clips from his dramas, to photos of him on stage, to photos he poses for magazines, to photos of fans visiting him on set, to...............I seem totally addicted; I want to go on forever. How can this man look so gorgeous from every angle?! On the way home from work, my head is still filled with his images. But the strange thing is -- of all the images in my mind, one keeps popping to the surface. When I look at that photo again on my home computer, I discover its electric voltage is Nth time more powerful than I imagine. God! It's only a photo, but I just can't take my eyes off it. I feel I have fallen hopelessly in love with this photo.

Perhaps it's because I am in the advertising business, I've always been very critical of magazine photos, whether of people or still objects. I've seen a lot of models at work, but more often than not their poses are forced. Except for a few super models who are truly talented, most do not inspire any delight or excitement. Hyun-Jae is not a professional model, and when he is not shooting a drama or movie, he is very shy and subdued. Maybe it is precisely because of this that this magazine photo of his so mesmerizes me.

He's just standing there, with his head slightly lowered, in the most casual way, with one hand at his hip, the other arm raised behind the back of his head, again very casually. No exposure, no provocative act, and yet there's something unspeakably sexy about this pose. Yes, even those creases in his clothes caused by his pose are very sexy to me, not to mention the little bit of midriff exposed due to the uplifting of the garment -- enough to cause a crime!

And yet the subtle thing about this photo is not in its casualness (which is just the appearance), and it's not just casual sexy. The way I see it, the difference between photos of people and photos of still objects lies not in people can move and pose but in the look in people's eyes which cannot be reproduced. What is "killer looks"? The look in his eyes here is the best definition. He fully understands his own attractiveness; he is absolutely confident but chooses a rather subdued pose. But as he lowers his head, he looks at you steadily and casually exudes strength and a certain wildness out of the stillness. This kind of low-key self-confidence emits a sudden devastating glamour in a split second, so that there is no escape for us.

Let me also comment on the colour and the clothes. The clothes are clean and eternal black, white, and grey, the colours for whom he is the best spokesman. Love his jacket -- simple style but with exquisite details, and the material looks very high-grade too. Under the crisp jacket he chooses to wear a knitted cardigan. This displays not just a layered look, but being the same grey colour but of different texture, the ying/yang contrast produces a delicate effect. As for that background, it happens to be this year's hot colour burgundy which gives a matured and mysterious flavour, perfectly in tune with his "feel" in this instant. To sum up, I like every detail about this photo, almost flawless, at least in my eyes.

Okay! I'm poisoned anyway. Keep looking at me like that and seducing me.............


* See Angie's earlier posting on 2/26/09 "A tribute to Jo Hyun-Jae".

(Photo courtesy of EVERjohyunjaeKorea)

Latest on JHJ

The following is a message left on CAFEKorea by a fellow soldier of Jo Hyun-Jae who met him at an army athletic meeting of the 56th battalion:

Hello, everybody!

Everybody is eager for news of Mr. Jo Hyun-Jae, so I've come here to leave a message.

Mr. Jo seems to be enjoying life in the army. He looks very healthy and is in great spirits.

He gets on very well with the younger soldiers. On that day Mr. Jo had a happy time chatting and laughing with his mates.

No lunch was provided, only rice cakes and meat. Mr. Jo ate and drank heartily with his mates, and everybody had a good time.

This was the first time Mr. Jo participated in an athletic meeting and he looked really well.

I would have liked to take a photo of Mr. Jo, but since it was agreed beforehand, I could not do it.

(Sources: CAFEJapan and CAFEKorea.)

A certain smile

Jo Hyun-Jae doesn't smile a lot in his dramas. But when he does, it's like the sun bursting forth from the clouds. Off screen, however, on certain occasions he smiles, even laughs, with such refreshing charm and charisma that we can't resist sharing these photos with you.

The million $ smile -- from his early days as a model

The happy smile -- from the 6/23/08 Tokyo Fan Meeting

The radiant smile -- from the 7/19/08 Korea Fan Meeting

The drunken smile -- from the celebration dinner after completion of "3 Dads/1 Mom"

The sad smile -- at the farewell on 8/5/08

The embarrassed smile -- from the TV show "Night Heart" 夜心万万

http://johyunjae.s217.sureserver.com/thread-7193-1-1.html

We love this TV show, well, this episode anyway, (check it out at the thread above) in which Jo Hyun-Jae reveals so much about himself, even his lost love. He says afterwards he regrets it; you never hear him speak so much in public again.

(Photos courtesy of EVER Korea and CAFE Korea. Link to video via johyunjaeChina, thanks!)

Farewell to Jo Hyun Jae: Seeing him off to join the army (Part 3)

2008.8.6 (Wednesday)

Greencup and I left the hotel at 6 a.m. and took the airport bus. We guessed JHJ was probably doing the morning drill in the army. The TV was showing the morning news and suddenly we saw JHJ! The newscaster was reporting newspaper headlines, one of which featured JHJ's send-off by his fans the day before. We were thrilled! Before we boarded our respective flights back to Taipei and Beijing, we vowed to welcome JHJ back in June 2010 in the proper attire -- with collar and long sleeves, and hat (if sunny) and umbrella (if rainy.) Dear Jo Hyun-Jae, we'll be right here waiting for you!

THE END

(Originally published on johyunjaeChina)

Well, that was it! That is the last of Jo Hyun-Jae we will see -- until at least two years later. It is now April 2009: eight months have passed since Hyun-Jae entered the army. From his own messages, he appears to be doing well and we are surviving. What is that English saying? Absence makes the heart fonder.

Farewell to Jo Hyun Jae: Seeing him off to join the army (Part 2)

2008.8.5 (Tuesday)

We got up at 6:30 a.m. and had a big buffet breakfast at the hotel coffee shop. We knew we were not going to have lunch until 3 p.m. At 8:30 a.m. the interpreter arrived (Greencup had hired one for the day) and we took a taxi to the assembly point at Seoul Station (very near to our hotel.) We met up with the EVER ladies who had arranged for two big coaches to transport us to the army camp. The coaches had big banners of JHJ on the sides with his photo and words of blessing. Everything was very well organized; I was really impressed. There were a lot of Japanese fans and two from Thailand, plus Greencup (Taiwan) and me (China) which made up the overseas contingent. There was also a young Chinese girl BoBo who was studying in Seoul.

On the bus the EVER ladies provided us with donuts and fruit juice. They are such caring and considerate people! We began our journey at 9:10 a.m. and it took less than an hour to get to the vicinity of the camp. It was a rather remote place on the outskirts of Seoul and even the professional coach drivers had difficulty locating it. We eventually negotiated our way along narrow country roads to reach Camp 306. On the way we passed Camp 506 (not G.P.506, just Camp 506) and there was a collective "Ah...h...h.....!!!"

The most notable thing along the way were the big yellow horizontal banners strung every 300 m. on the freeway by the EVER ladies. Each banner had words of blessing and encouragement (for example, "Please take care of yourself." "Stay healthy." "You have our support forever." "We will wait for you.") These were strung on lamp posts along the freeway where cars could not stop, so the EVER ladies must have worked in the middle of the night when traffic was light. I was so moved when I saw the banners (and there were over 20 of these.) I am sure JHJ would be moved too. To have such dedicated and loyal fans is really a blessing.

We disembarked at 10:30 a.m. and stood under a tree behind several big yellow banners with the same words of blessing and encouragement. On the wall behind us was also hung another yellow banner with the words (addressed to camp members) "Please take care of JHJ!" There was a similar banner on the entrance to the camp. The EVER ladies left nothing to chances. They also distributed JHJ fans (much appreciated in the heat and humidity) and a curious hard foam poster/board (the size of an A4 sheet of paper) which depicted two shoes bound together by an iron chain (with a red heart-shaped lock with the word EVER), one a black army boot and the other a white woman's shoe. The interpreter explained that Korean women used to leave when their men entered the army. So this poster/board meant we're bound to JHJ forever, that we would never desert him, that we would wait for his return from the army which were what the Korean words on it said.

We stood there from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, during which time we were scolded several times by a very ferocious Korean woman who was selling bottled water and who obviously thought we were getting in the way. (Actually we were behind her and she was doing good business selling water to JHJ fans.) That's when I learned the Korean word for "Sorry!"

Apart from JHJ, there were many other young Korean men entering Camp 306 today. We saw parents bringing their sons and girlfriends lingering over parting with their boyfriends. There was a Korean family sitting on stools behind us, a father and a mother saying goodbye to their son. There was also a little girl of about 4 or 5, his niece. We were so bored we started to play with the little girl, and then I suddenly had a brainwave. This young man was going into the same camp as JHJ! We asked the interpreter to ask him and the answer was in the affirmative. We asked her to request him to PLEASE take care of our dear Hyun-Jae. His parents must think we were nuts! The young man knew who JHJ was; he used to be in a TV games show. And then I heard him say something in putonghua; it turned out he had been to Beijing several times on business. So I said: "Please take good care of JHJ and I'll treat you to dinner next time you're in Beijing." And Greencup said: "Come to Taipei and I'll treat you too." His parents, I'm sure, were convinced we were a pair of lunatics.

While we were waiting, an EVER lady brought over a SBS reporter to interview the Thai fan standing in front of us. I immediately asked our interpreter to tell the TV man there were fans from China and Taiwan too. This was my greatest contribution on this trip! Greencup was then interviewed, again and again, four times altogether by different TV stations, KBS, YTN, etc. She had become a media star! Only once for me (sorry! I'm shy) but I did say I was from China, loud and clear (so mission accomplished.) I spoke only one sentence: "Mr. JHJ, we'll always be here for you." Like our Hyun-Jae, I am a person of few words. The reporter was still holding the microphone to my face ten seconds after I had finished. He seemed to be expecting more, because Greencup spoke at some length before me.

At noon we were told to move 100 m. up the road to join the CAFE fans. There must have been over 200 fans altogether. It did not make sense for members of the two fan clubs to be standing in two places. We should all be unified behind JHJ. There was a mad dash and jockeying for position. I am not an aggressive person. I was pushed and shoved until I found myself at the end of the line at the farthest point up the road. While I was recovering my breath, I saw all these reporters (sitting on chairs) opposite me. Ha! If reporters were here, JHJ would be positioned to stand opposite them, which meant RIGHT NEXT TO ME! What is that Chinese saying? "If it's yours, it's yours." No need to fight. Ha! Ha! I gestured frantically to Greencup who was socializing with the CAFE Korea master on the other side. She later joined me and I whispered: "We have to hold our position." During the 1 1/2-hour wait our space was invaded several times, but we stood our ground and fought off all attacks.

The CAFE fans were on one side of the road and the EVER fans on the other. The CAFE fans were the ones holding the big square yellow neckerchiefs. We were given these at the Korea fan meeting on July 19. On the neckerchief was written the Korean words for WAITING. After we sang the song from "3 Dads/1 Mom" to JHJ at the fan meeting, we were instructed to hold up the neckerchief so he could see we would be waiting for him to return from the army. I don't know if this is a universal custom, but in the U.S.A. if a member of your family goes off to war or is away for a long time (for whatever reason), you tie a yellow ribbon on your door or on a tree, signifying you are waiting for his/her return. When he/she is back, you remove the yellow ribbon. Greencup and I also brought our yellow neckerchiefs, but when we displayed them, we were told by EVER not to obstruct JHJ's face and the words on the yellow banner we were holding. (We were holding the end section.)

We stood under the unrelenting sun from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. (JHJ was supposed to appear at 12:30 p.m., but every 10 minutes we were told: "Another 10 minutes.") Both Greencup and I brought umbrellas but could not use them. We did not have a third hand -- we had to hold the banner with one hand and the foam poster/board (with the shoes motif) with the other. My face was covered in beads of sweat; my hair was dripping sweat; my T-shirt was completely soaked; and the top of my trousers (around the waist) was all wet. Greencup had a handkerchief but I only had tissue paper which disintegrated on contact with my sweat. I used up the whole packet, so I just let the rivulets of sweat run down my face and body. It must have been over 30 degrees Centigrade, and there was not a cloud in the sky. I had a bottle of water but I dared not drink for fear of having to go to the toilet. I just stood there, baking in the sun. The reporters opposite us were suffering (and probably grumbling) too, but at least they had chairs and water (brought by EVER.) I had nothing to do, so I counted the number of reporters and there were almost 30 of them. So JHJ was news! Good!

All of a sudden we realized we had lost our interpreter. We finally located her squatting under some bushes. This young woman could not take it anymore. And the young girl BoBo looked like she was going to faint. Greencup and I looked at each other; we could read each other's mind. We knew we had to stand there to show the world JHJ fans were people of mettle, and especially his Chinese fans were women of fortitude and forbearance. Endure! Endure! (But softly, softly, to tell the truth -- I've never had such a hard time in my life!)

At 1:30 p.m. there was a commotion at the other end. Screams could be heard. JHJ had finally arrived -- in a van. He got out and walked through the corridor of fans on either side of the road, bowing and waving, stopping just in front of us. He was so close that I could touch him if I stretched out my hand. God! He was so handsome, and so tall (must be over 1.8 m.) but oh, so thin! He was wearing a collarless white T-shirt with the words "Buckaroo Roundup" (a "buckaroo" is a cowboy in Western American lingo) and his signature black baseball cap with the words "REQUIRES CONSTANT SUPERVISION" (great sense of humour!) He apologised for being late because the bottleneck stretch of road leading to the camp was jammed. He thanked everyone present for being there. Then he took off his cap to reveal a crew cut even shorter than the one he sported at the Korea fan meeting. He posed for the cameras; he saluted to the delight of the fans and the reporters. In answer to reporters' questions, he said:

1. He spent last night talking to his parents who were naturally worried about him.

2. He had a good dinner and slept well, even though he slept late.

3. He would fulfill his military duties with honour, work hard in the army, broaden his horizon and his experience in life, and stay healthy.

4. He knew he was older than the average recruit, but he was confident he could get along with them, and he would respect his seniors who might be younger than he.

5. He had talked to other actors who had been in the army, so he knew more or less what to expect.

6. He used to admire other actors who got a great send-off by their fans and worry what would happen in his own case, so he was most grateful to his fans for being there for him.

7. He had no acting plans at the moment but promised to give his best performance in two years' time.

8. He thanked his fans again for their support.

I did not master Korean overnight; the above are from the interpreter's notes. While he was speaking, all the familiar JHJ mannerisms were displayed. He put his hand to his forehead; he rubbed his nose; he bit his lips. No, those were not tears in his eyes, most likely sweat. He was very composed and he smiled more than usual. He also spoke more fluently than usual, but not rehearsed. I was not going to take any photos; I just wanted to "save" the moment on my PC (my brains), but when JHJ turned towards our side and I looked into his big, beautiful eyes, I had to take out my camera and snap a few shots.

Then it was all over and his manager/bodyguard (the burly guy in the orange polo T-shirt) was clearing the way for JHJ's departure. He almost stepped over me who was directly in his path. While I was trying to save my skin, Greencup shook JHJ's hand and the Japanese lady next to her wiped JHJ's face and forehead with a small towel. He did not resist. Like us, he was sweating profusely, so he was probably grateful for the gentle gesture. I just stood there, watching with admiration and envy. I would never dare do something like that, and yet it seemed the most natural thing in the world, like a mother's tender touch. After this, JHJ walked right past me. I had to jump aside to avoid being crushed by the mad crowd (including reporters) rushing after him. Both Greencup and I felt we had had enough; we would leave it to the others to savour these last few moments. I saw JHJ looking back and waving, and I felt my heart twitch. I muttered under my breath: "God bless you!"

It was an hour's ride back to Seoul Station. We did not sit down for lunch at a Korean restaurant until 3 p.m. (right on schedule.) The food was good but I could not finish my portion because I made the mistake of taking a spoonful of the soup which was so hot (as in "spicy") that I almost choked. I coughed so violently that everybody at my table was alarmed. Greencup and I were sitting opposite the two Thai fans. The younger one showed me the video she took which was better than any of the videos I've seen on the web so far. She was perfectly positioned to capture the whole episode from the very beginning when JHJ was walking towards the reporters to the end after he finished speaking. She would be staying in Seoul until Saturday, Aug.9, and would upload the video on Monday, Aug.11. So go to johyunjaethailand, everybody, if you want a faithful and complete record of JHJ's farewell to his fans. (The video is more than 11 minutes long.)

After lunch we went to the church in "Love Letter", the one where Andrea took his vows to be a priest. (EVER had planned a full day of programmes for us.) It was very near to the restaurant, up a slight slope. It was a beautiful church with manicured grounds. I went in and said a prayer for JHJ. Scenes from "Love Letter" flooded into my mind. I made a mental note to watch this drama again (for the N-th time.)

The coach took us back to Seoul Station and we arrived back at our hotel a little after 5 p.m. We almost collapsed when we got to our room. Our clothes were dry by that time, but Greencup and I looked like two cooked lobsters! (very red in the face and around the neck [we were both wearing collarless tops] and, in my case, the lower half of my arms too because my sleeves were 3/4 whereas Greencup was wearing long sleeves.) My skin was starting to itch which meant it was sunburnt. If I had known we would be standing in the sun for hours, I would have brought sunscreen lotion, but the weather forecast said "Hazy". Oh, the sacrifices we made on JHJ's behalf!

Our looks were ruined but we could still salvage our bodies which needed nourishment after such a hard day. So we went to BAEK-JE SAMYETANG again and ordered double-boiled chicken soup with ginseng this time. We felt better after the meal and went back to the hotel to shower. When I came out of the bathroom, I found Greencup lying in bed holding a bottle of ice water to each side of her face. "What are you doing?" "Ice treatment." Ha! Ha! Ha! But it really worked; she looked less red and less puffy the next day. Actually someone at the farewell recommended cucumber (you remember that very funny scene in "3 Dads/1 Mom" of Sun Shing Rok and the baby, both their faces covered with cucumber slices?) But ice water worked just as well. And oh! I must tell you what an elegant lady Greencup is: there were 4 bottles of mineral water in the refrigerator, 2 Evian and 2 local brand. Guess which ones she used for her ice treatment?

When we were lying in bed, utterly exhausted and emotionally drained, Greencup suddenly said: "We didn't cry!" I replied: "How could we? We had no water left in our system. We were sweating so much. We sweated tears!" And then we wondered what JHJ would be doing at that hour. Greencup said life in the army was very hard (she had a son in the army and another one going in soon.) But we found consolation in the fact that JHJ started work young, so he knew how to tough it out. He was also such a good genial fellow so he should have no difficulty adjusting to a life of discipline. I said my prayers and asked God to protect all my loved ones (including JHJ) and give them good health, keep them safe, and let them be happy. I sort of drifted into sleep with my skin hurting but was woken up by the morning call at 5:30 a.m.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

(Originally published on johyunjaeChina)