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 stop for their latest movie “Rampant”’s International Junket.
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.
These sweet and thoughtful actions not only heightened the atmosphere at the venue but also sent many hearts fluttering. Have we ever seen any Korean Stars spending 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 probably one of the biggest stars, with the most easy going and friendly personalities (till you feel that they are just your oppas next door).
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. There was no rush or haste and the actors would tell the security guards that it’s okay and they did the best they could for the fans who have waited long for their arrival.
The last that Jang Dong Gun came for a movie promotion was probably in 2006 and Hyun Bin came for a fan meeting in 2013. I’m sure they understand how much their fans longed to meet them right in the flesh.
There were some “1st” that we achieved with this International Junket:
- The 1st time that Korean stars would spend 30 min signing autographs and taking wefies on the red carpet, there was no rush or haste but to satisfy the requests of their ardent fans
- There was no prior screening of interview questions. The director and stars just answered every single question that was directed at them. This rarely happens for any Korean Press Conference or official interview.
- 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.
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 to why you should watch “Rampant”, to see how these besties take on confrontational roles against each other in the movie.
Jang Dong Gun was the first to grace the red carpet. Fans probably didn’t realize that he would stop to take so many wefies or sign autographs and they were so thrilled. When it was Hyun Bin’s turn, the fans knew better how they should grab his attention by shouting “oppa” till he came over to them.
The 2 stars look really suave in real life, SO MUCH more dashing than on TV. They are starkly tall at 1.8m and above. Standing so close to them with just less than 1m away, would put you to shame when you marveled at their flawless and radiant complexion.
Jang Dong Gun has this radiant glow on his face and he is so different from his solemn characters in movies. He’s slightly tanned too. He’s always on all smiles and being very polite. His big, beautiful eyes are the most electrifying. He’s just like how you would imagine of a gentleman, but a very MANLY gentleman. It will definitely lighten your mood when you see him. He seems like someone who is very mild and fun-loving in real life, definitely a good husband and father.
(Favourite shot of the night: JDG sending some love)
We were just right beside the media box where the overseas media were. Jang Dong Gun was just standing barely 2 metres away having his interviews on all smiles. I must say, he has such a beautiful voice. His voice is very pleasing and soothing to the ears. He was just so composed and relaxed.
Jang Dong Gun has been loved by the public since his younger days and he has no scandals or any bad news through these years. He focused on having his acting surpassing his physical beauty.
Understandably, Hyun Bin who’s at his prime age 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. Hyun Bin may not be the walk-out-of-comic type of “Handsome”, but he looks so much more dashing in real life, that I went “Woah, 是好看的”。
You really need to see him in the flesh once, to fully understand what we are talking about here.
He would acknowledge and gesture to the fans shouting “Hyun Bin Oppa” from both ends of the red carpet, that he would walk over later. 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, but he still looks good whether he was smiling or just being his usual “expressionless” face.
He looked better with a slight smile as it will show his dimples. It’s rare that we got to see him in wide beaming smiles, showing his teeth, when he took wefies with his fans. He might be a little tired but it’s obvious that his mood was pretty good.
He’s probably feeling 喜滋滋 since he still has ardent fans though he has advanced to his mid 30s. No worries, Hyun Bin, you are still pretty eligible and attractive in many ladies’ hearts.
They probably only spent about 15 minutes on stage as they needed to rush to the next red carpet at RWS shortly. While it was good to have the media boxes for overseas media to have a chance to interview them, would it have been better if they were granted exclusive interviews before the event so that the general public and fans can see more of the stars?
I am really glad that Danny Yeo was the host and Song Im the translator for this series of events. I also like this duo combination as they are both professional and also being able to strike a rapport with the stars.
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 and we are grateful for that.
It’s true, I can vouch for that.
The director and actors shared some of their thoughts about being in Singapore and receiving such a warm and passionate welcome. Jang Dong Gun 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 on all grins and chuckling 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.
Jang Dong Gun took the role partly because of Hyun Bin as they know each other for many years but have never acted together. He has a high level of trust and they know each other very well.
Hyun Bin could see a new side of Jang Dong Gun as a sunbae (senior) and get to see how he changes as the camera rolls. It was both pretty interesting and meaningful for him.
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.
The stars and director took a wefie on stage before leaving. While Jang Dong Gun was walking down the red carpet to the car, he stopped to shake hands and also for a couple of more selfies.
He wanted to stop for some autographs but he had no marker pen with him so he was apologetic and he had to go.
Well, where else could we find such considerate super stars?
There’s a reason why he’s still so well-liked after 26 years in showbiz.
We missed the red carpet at RWS since we had to rush down from Suntec City, but we made it for the brief appearance that they made at the Gala Premiere at Resorts World Theatre.
It seemed that the trio’s mood had never been better, especially at this moment right before the movie “Rampant” makes it debut in Singapore. 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, be it a good or bad guy role. 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 the unsung heroes, such as the zombie extras and the music that they used in the movie was performed by the London Symphony.
You would already be looking forward to catch the movie in cinemas.
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.
Indeed, it was a mere 10-minute appearance and it had been a mad rush. However, it was a night to remember for all present.
The Charismatic Veteran – Jang Dong Gun
Jang Dong Gun is the epitome of what we call “aging with class and grace”.
He’s still one of the most sought after (and highest paid) actors in Korea, yet he’s so low profile that you won’t be able to find any news about him if he weren’t filming or promoting his works.
Known for his big eyes and chiselled good looks, but this man has long showcased that his versatile acting has way surpassed his physical attractiveness. The fine lines further accentuate his charisma. 多几条皱纹也是人生的历练，根本无需遮掩。那淡定的自信表露无遗。
虽然年轻一点的妹妹们对他没那么熟悉，因为他堪少演电视剧, 直到 “Gentlemen’s Dignity” & “Suits”, 但巅峰时期和现在的他,魅力丝毫不减。他就像红酒一样，越来越浓和有味道。
My first Korean Drama was “All About Eve” and Jang Dong Gun was my 1st favourite Korean Male Lead. Since then, he had been challenging himself to diverse and difficult roles in many movies. He only returned to the small screen in 2013 with “Gentlemen’s Dignity” and “Suits” this year. However, he has never failed to bring his characters to LIFE.
“Gentlemen’s Dignity” was so well received that many audiences from the younger generation got re-acquainted with this 影帝.
A real actor is not worried about losing fans as he ages or having the limelight stolen away from him, but more of how to have audiences still wanting to watch his works and if it has touched them in certain ways.
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 and how even when he was helping Park Hyun Sik when they acted together in “Suits”.
他从来都不会 “玄彬“夺主 (喧宾夺主) 。
He just seems so composed and relaxed.
这或许就是所谓看得云淡风轻，就会变得豁然开朗, 悠悠自在。
他其实表情还蛮多，有点还像个阳光少年。
A real actor is not just about bringing the best of his acting, but also creating the harmony between the rest of the actors and also linkage to the story line.
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。炯炯有神的目光里透射出足够的磁场和霸气。即便不是第一男主角，怎样都盖不住他的光芒。骨子里流露出的就是所扮演的角色。
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。
Like Park Hyung Sik mentioned, JDG is very good looking in real life and he has this aura of a very confident and seasoned actor, yet very personable.
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。
He’s probably at a very comfortable stage in his acting career now, where he would still go into choosing characters that he wishes to go into, since his kids have grown up.
The Low Profile but Upright Hyun Bin
He’s pretty low-profile but he would act like a man when it comes to being open about his relationships and who he’s dating. He’s currently single now as he wishes to concentrate on his acting career.
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.
There’s this phrase that suits Hyun Bin best “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”
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.
He’s also returning to KDrama Land with Park Shin Hye in “Memories of the Alhambra”. We could almost be sure that his popularity would soar once again.
How do Hyun Bin and Jang Dong Gun Influence each other?
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 the Zombie Acapolypse movie “Rampant”. It seemed they were so comfortable to be able to rely on each other during filming and get to know another side of their bestie which they never knew.
Both are A-List actors in South Korea but they have never collaborated in any drama or movie despite being in showbiz for so many years. When the opportunity arises, both were more than happy to take on these roles. As colleagues and seniors and juniors in the industry, they see a different side to each other as a professional actor.
In fact, I feel that they have also influenced each other in a good way, despite the 10 year gap.
Hyun Bin being younger, is more natural in portraying comical roles while Jang Dong Gun has always been taking on serious roles. So it was a good switch for him in “Gentlemen’s Dignity”, one whereby you may dislike but love his character at the same time.
As for Hyun Bin, he has been challenging himself to more varied roles now as he doesn’t wish to be confined in the “idol actor” range.
After Thoughts
While it was a short encounter (since I saw mostly bobbing heads), 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.
The closest distance at less than 1m away when they came near, would have you looking at every pore and line on their faces. I was also fortunate enough to be able to stand right beside the media box hearing them speak. It was just so melodious.
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.
That’s my favourite shot of the night.
Thanks to all the organizers and crew for having put up such a successful event.
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Consolidation of the interviews below:
Interviews at the Meet & Greet, Red Carpet at RWS & during Gala Premiere
Suntec City Meet & Greet
Host Danny Yeo mentioned that this is the friendliest and longest red carpet that Singapore ever had, for Korean Movie and Korean stars. We really appreciate it very much.
Director Kim Sung Hoon : Very happy and excited to be here in Singapore. And I wonder how all of you will receive the movie after watching it.
But anyway, I hope all of you enjoy the show.
Danny: Jang Dong Gun has been in Singapore for a few times. This time it is so rare for him to come by for movie promotion and to meet everybody up close.
Can we have a few words from him about being in Singapore this time?
JDG: 1st of all, Thank you all for your warm welcome. Actually I was here in Singapore last summer for a family trip. I remember being in Suntec City with my kids and my family to do some shopping here. It’s good to be back to promote my latest film “Rampant”. I was previously in Singapore some time ago to promote my movie, but this time we are back to promote a Korean movie and it’s meaningful.
Danny: This means we need to have Hyun Bin in Singapore more often as well. Can we hear from Hyun Bin about being in Singapore this time?
Hyun Bin: Nice to meet you all and I’m so happy to be here to meet all the fans, and not just the fans, but also the media, movie fans, movie goers. It’s a great pleasure to be here and we are happy to meet all of you. And I hope all of you would enjoy this movie “Rampant”.
Danny: What’s the feedback and response like, hearing from people all around you?
Director: Yes, I’ve been hearing a lot of great feedback and very thankfully, back in Korea, the movie is doing really well and of course, I cannot forget to mention the 2 top A-List stars on stage here. Thanks to them, I think the movie is doing so good.
Danny: What is really amazing is, Mr Jang Dong Gun in the movie, he recites a chinese poem. It was so beautifully done I believe he probably spent a lot of time preparing for that and memorising as well. Can we have Mr Jang Dong Gun to introduce this role for us.
JDG: 大家好, 我是张东健。。 Hahaha.. (A moment of silence since that’s all he could remember). My greeting in Mandarin, that’s as pretty much as I can speak in Mandarin. I hope you guys like it. And also, my role in this movie “Rampant”, I play the role of a powerful minister who’s in charge of the country’s military. Initially he really wants to reveal a new Joseon but eventually, it turns into personal greed and it caused his downfall because of that.
Danny: And for Hyun Bin in the movie, there were a lot of fighting scenes. A lot of fans out there were very worried. They were very concerned actually. Certainly, Hyun Bin did not get any injuries at all. How was the role for you? Was it challenging? Can you share a little bit with us?
Hyun Bin: So as I mentioned there are a lot of strenuous action scenes in this movie, that I had to shoot, had to film. One of it was definitely the battle against many zombies. And because of the nature of zombies, because they are out to attack you, so when they run to attack you, their faces approach you first. So in order to shoot safely and also to make sure the excitement is there, we have to put in a lot of thoughts into it. In terms of distance between the zombies and when you are swinging your swords and props.
Danny: Now you should be looking forward to this movie, wonderful genre mix of action as well as zombie. Now who here will like to have the 2 stars to turn into zombie and attack you? Who want to make them have a bite on your neck?
Fans were screaming ardently.
The stars were chuckling.
Danny: Next time the director can have all these fans in the movie as well, so that we can have more people interacting in a meaningful movie.
Red Carpet at RWS
Liyi: 1st of all, we would like the gentlemen on stage here to greet the fans in Singapore.
Director: Very nice to meet all the Singaporean fans here. I’m pretty honoured and happy to be here with our 2 top stars from Korea. Please give your support to our movie “Rampant” and I hope you guys enjoy it.
JDG: I’m very happy to be back in Singapore too. It’s been some time since I last visited this country and the last time I officially visited Singapore was for a Chinese movie, and this time I’m back in Singapore to promote my latest film “Rampant”, which is a Korean show, also featuring our top star, Hyun Bin. I’m very happy to be back.
Hyun Bin: Hello everyone, I’m so happy to be back here meeting us here and I hope you guys are feeling the same too in meeting us here. I hope our movie “Rampant” will stir these emotions in you guys as well.
Liyi: Well, this is really a great movie. There is so much action and special effects in the movie. Well, the next question for our 3 gentlemen from Korea. What do they think is the most challenging part of making this movie?
Director: There are a lot of challenges involved, because some of you may know, the action scenes in the movie are very fast paced and there are a lot of dangerous movements involved. So there are a lot of safety issues I need to look out for and meticulously plan. Because of that, a lot of planning and a lot of thought processes involved. They are pretty challenging and also mixing the western element, the western zombie with the Korean fusion and Joseon era and storyline was another challenge, but it’s an interesting one.
JDG: I want to talk about some pleasures I had filming this movie and my role in “Rampant” first. Well, I really enjoyed working and acting alongside my best friend, Hyun Bin. The closeness and the chemistry really brought out the chemistry in me, I think. Some challenges I faced were, I acted as a villain in this new show and the acting as a bad guy, at the same time I need to make sure that it was portrayed as a 3-dimensional characters and giving it the layers and depth was pretty challenging too.
Hyun Bin: Some of you would find out as you watch the show, there are a lot of strenuous action scenes in the movie where I had to battle, fights against many zombies. So, those were physically very challenging and the shoot was during winter. Very harsh climate, so it was really cold to act outdoor and it was a challenge not just for me but the entire crew and the cast members as well.
Liyi: Just give us one reason why all the Singaporean fans should catch the movie in cinemas?
Director: Well, the top top reason why you must watch “Rampant” is because the 2 gorgeous guys are featured in the show. So I think that alone is enough reason for you to catch the show. And of course, not forgetting the amount of energy and passion that they delivered through the screen, through the movie “Rampant”. It’s just incredible. Please do catch it.
JDG: The movie “Rampant” is packed with amazing, entertaining elements that you guys can look out for besides just the sheer scale of the action scenes it brings about, the story line, the message it brings and the images and being set in the Joseon era, would be very refreshing for many of you.
Hyun Bin: This movie will please not just your eyes but your ears and your heart as well, not because of the sheer scale, the actions and the massive, beautiful images it brings, but also because the music featured in this show is done by London Symphony. That’s another thing you can look out for and the hopeful message behind the movie is trying to convey, I hope gets delivered to all the audiences too. I do hope, every single one of you here catch “Rampant”.
Gala Premiere
Liyi: How has their experience in Singapore been so far?
Director: Because of all your warm and passionate welcome. It almost made me feel like Why didn’t I release this movie in Singapore before we came to visit in Singapore. So really really happy to be here to meet all of you and I hope all of you enjoy the movie “Rampant”.
Danny: Just to let you know, Mr Jang Dong Gun was the 1st to step on the red carpet. He was going really close to all the fans screaming and reaching out to him with their claws and fingernails. Were fans in Singapore scarier than the zombies in the movie?
Director and the actors were laughing out loud.
Director: Almost made me feel like “Why didn’t I bring my production team and my equipment along?”. We might as well film the sequel to “Rampant” here.
Liyi: Can we hear from Mr Jang Dong Gun & Mr Hyun Bin, how has their experience been in Singapore so far?
JDG: Hello, everyone. Pleased to meet you. (In English) I arrived in Singapore last night and even though it’s been a pretty short time, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute in Singapore, especially to promote my latest film “Rampant”. And probably because all of you received us with such warm welcome, and the energy really shine throughout today.
Hyun Bin: It’s a great pleasure, and very very happy that I’m meeting all of you and I’m meeting everyone here who loves movie and who is looking forward to catch our latest film “Rampant”. It’s such a great pleasure. I really hope all of you enjoy our movie. We have put in so much time and effort into creating this show. So, do enjoy it.
Danny: The director was taking photos of the hall. How has your trip to Singapore been so far, do you like it?
Director: I would say this very moment right before, we are facing our audiences who would be watching the show here very, very soon. This is the most exciting and happiest moment of today, I would say. Probably because we were looking forward to showcase (even before our trip to Singapore) to Singaporean audiences. This is really an incredible moment for me.
Liyi: Is there a particular scene in the movie that they would like to audiences to look out for?
JDG: Well, I do not want to give any spoilers because all of you here will be catching the movie yourself really soon. Well, just to share a little bit, I play a villain in this movie.
He’s actually very considerate. He paused to let the translator do her translation before continuing. Same goes for Hyun Bin later on.
JDG: I’ve played several villain roles for my previous films and projects too. Previously, I was focusing more on the characters, the feeling in the character itself, but for this movie, the focus is more on creating the harmony.
You are not just talking about a one-dimensional villain. I tried to give it a little more thought and bring out the layers and depth of the character. He’s a villain, but he’s not entirely a bad guy and there are a lot of entertaining elements in it. I tried my best to make sure that it blends well into the entire environment and atmosphere of the show. Do look out for it and I hope you enjoy it.
Hyun Bin: I believe this theatre, there have been many musicals that were played in this particular theatre. I believe the sound system is great. One thing you can look out for while watching “Rampant” is the music.
The music was created by London Symphony, so these are magnificent pieces of music that you can definitely look out for.
And some other things you can look out for is the message that is trying to bring across, hopeful messages as well as the massive action scenes as the movie pulls towards the climax and the visuals, the sheer scale of it is just incredible. So please look out for those.
And I cannot miss them out. Our hidden heroes of the movie are all the cast members who acted as the zombies. You will see their photos on the ending credits. So when you see it, please give them a big, big round of applause.
