Fan Meets

Never had the fans of zombie apocalypses movies been more excited, than to have Korean Superstars Jang Dong Gun and Hyun Bin, gracing the red carpet at Suntec City Mall, with Singapore being the only overseas stop for their latest movie “Rampant”’s promotional activities.

The 2 hunky and gorgeous looking men made their appearance, decked in black suits, on all smiles and acceding to fans’ requests (for handshake, autograph and wefies) on the red carpet. Jang Dong Gun & Hyun Bin sent hearts fluttering with their grace, class, thoughtfulness and impeccable, oozing manliness.

No other Korean Stars have spent so much time at the red carpet just to give such great fan service. It was definitely the first, with a class on its own. They are one of the biggest stars with the most easy going & friendly personalities. 他们和蔼可亲和随和的举动，令你感觉到的不是巨星的霸气，而是暖男们的贴心。这无疑也顿时拉近他们和影迷, 媒体之间的距离。It’s not their duty, but they made it their call to reciprocate to the fans.

Some “1st” that SG achieved with this International Junket:

– The 1st time that Korean stars would spend 30 min signing autographs & taking wefies on the red carpet, there was no rush or haste but to satisfy their ardent fans’
– There was no prior screening of interview questions. The director and stars answered every single question that was directed at them.
– It’s also the 1st time when the audiences would clap and cheer after all on stage took their turns to make their speeches (even at the gala premiere)
– The 1st time that Korean stars suggested for the host to take a centre position in a group photo (according to Host Danny Yeo).

It shows how easy-going and confident they are.

Would you have felt awkward if you have to act as opponents in a movie with your longtime bestie? It didn’t feel so the case for our MANLY leads of “Rampant” though they have never collaborated in any drama or movie before. They were able to rely on each other during filming and get to know another side of their bestie as a professional actor.

Jang Dong Gun, who’s the “epitome of aging with class and grace”, topped with Hyun Bin’s attractiveness in his prime, is a “deadly” combination. This duo, who are best friends in real life, have a lot in common, including their easy-going personalities. That’s also a major draw as to why you should watch “Rampant”, to see how these besties take on confrontational roles in the movie.

The 2 stars look really suave in real life, SO MUCH more dashing than on TV. They are starkly tall at 1.8 to 1.84m. Standing so close to them with just less than 1m away, would put you to shame when you marveled at their flawless and radiant complexions.

Jang Dong Gun is slightly tanned, has this radiant glow on his face and is always on all smiles. His big, beautiful eyes are the most electrifying. He seems like someone who is very mild and fun-loving in real life. His voice is very soothing and pleasing to the ears. He’s also pretty composed and relaxed. 他就像红酒一样，越来越浓和有味道。

他懂得如何优雅地让后辈们 take central stage & enjoy the limelight. Just look at how he would always let Hyun Bin speak more as a Hoobae. 他从来都不会 “玄彬”夺主 (喧宾夺主) 。

虽然张东健长得帅，但他是个演员，不是偶像，凭的是实力。演技早已深入民心。眼神就有足够的磁场和霸气。即便不是第一男主角，怎样都盖不住他的光芒。为人处事低调，说话温文有理，没有巨星架子。但一旦进入角色，就像似变了个人一样，完全地融入角色。很随和，也很爱笑，似乎是一个 Happy Go Lucky 的人。

这不只是历练老成，也是有一份提拔后辈的心。实力派演员是不大需要当心自己年长之后是否会在观众们的心目中掉价，而是如何继续挑战更艰难的角色，带给观众不同的惊喜。

Hyun Bin who’s at his prime at 36 years old, had more ardent fans screaming for him. He’s one who would turn heads a few times if you see him on the streets. Photographs and videos do not do Hyun Bin justice. This guy is so NOT photogenic at all. He looks tonnes better in real life. He may not be the walk-out-of-comic type of “Handsome”, but he looks so much more dashing in real life.

He would acknowledge and gesture to the fans shouting “Hyun Bin Oppa” from both ends of the red carpet. It was a sweet yet funny sight to see that he was as if, satisfying “little kids” who were vying for attention. He’s more cool compared to JDG.

Most audiences got to know Hyun Bin during “My Lovely Samsoon”, but “Secret Garden” propelled him to Superstardom. He’s not just being loved for his acting, but also for his tenacity as a real man who enlisted into the toughest branch at Marine Corps during military service.

While his works after his military service may not have received as much love as compared to before, his recent movie attempts to take on tougher and more diverse roles seem to be working well. He has begun to take on more mature role in “Confidential Assignment” and even being a villain in “The Negotiation”. It is a good swerve for him as he approaches his mid-thirties.

Danny first mentioned that he wanted the director and stars to know that this is the longest and friendliest red carpet we ever had in Singapore.

The trio shared some of their thoughts about being in Singapore and receiving such a warm and passionate welcome. JDG was here for a holiday with his family last summer and he attempted some Chinese poems in the movie, however he is only able to make a simple greeting like “大家好, 我是张东健” now。。It sent the fans chuckling with his cute and earnest response.

The challenges for Hyun Bin were that there were many strenuous scenes in the movie and they had to put a lot of thought into safety precautions.

It was towards the end that Danny asked if the fans would like to have the 2 stars turning into zombies to attack them, that sent the stars and director laughing away. When asked what is it that they are most scared of, Jang Dong Gun replied that he seldom loses control in real life and loves zombie flicks, but he is more scared of his children as they don’t always turn out or behave as he wishes them to. Well, that’s an earnest response from a dad.

If what Jang Dong Gun mentioned that the movie theme is about losing control is true, I wonder how many ladies lost all control when they saw them, at least a few thousand at Suntec City Mall.

Hyun Bin said that he probably has nothing that he fears, not even insects, pests or beasts.

Well, that’s likely the vast difference between a married vs single man.

When you have a family of your own, you will have more things to worry or be cautious about, but when you are single, you are carefree.

It seemed that the trio’s mood had never been better, especially at the moment right before the movie “Rampant” makes its debut in Singapore at RWS. They laughed out loud when Danny asked if the fans reaching out their “claws” to the actors were scarier than the zombies in the movie. This is when Director Kim Sung Hoon jokingly expressed that he should have brought all his crew and equipment along to film a sequel to “Rampant”.

The leading actors talked a little more about the portrayal of their characters in the movie. It has always been an enjoyment to watch Jang Dong Gun act. Being the villain in this movie, he tried to add more depths and layers to make it stand out more than just a one-dimensional villain.

He focused on creating and bringing out the harmony on set, than to focus just solely on his character. This is what we call a “seasoned veteran actor”.

Hyun Bin mentioned more about his challenges filming the movie and also praised the unsung heroes, such as the zombie extras and the music that they used in the movie was performed by the London Symphony.

The dashing oppas would also hope that the audience would try to look out for the message that this movie is trying to bring across, the massive action scenes and visuals as the movie pulls towards the climax and the sheer scale of the production.

While it was a short encounter, I am grateful that we had the honour & privilege to grace the same red carpet (though not at the same time) as Korean Superstars, Jang Dong Gun Oppa & Hyun Bin.

It’s a dream come true for me to see Jang Dong Gun at least once this lifetime. Hopefully there will be more opportunities in future.

Thanks to all the organizers and crew for having put up such a successful event.

It was a night to remember for all present.Read More →