Jo Hyun Jae

I saw Lee Byung-Hyun on CNN’s “Talk Asia” last week.  LBH speaks fluent English and is very suave and looks completely at ease in the half-hour interview.  He is perfectly charming to the female Caucasian reporter who has obviously fallen under his spell.

What I really want to mention here is — halfway through the programme 3 of LBH’s childhood photos are shown.  These photos of LBH at ages (educated guess) 2, 4, and 6 of a skinny, dark-skinned boy bear no resemblance to the superstar of today.  Is LBH an “ugly duckling”?  Can a not-good-looking boy grow up to be such a handsome man?

As soon as I saw LBH’s photos, I thought of Jo Hyun-Jae’s childhood photos.  If you were asked to match stars’ childhood photos to their present-day photos, you’d have no problem getting it right with JHJ.  The child JHJ is a mini-version of the man, his fine features (although not fully formed) are all there already. 

Someone told me that in an interview JHJ once said he could not afford cosmetic surgery because his family was too poor.  (I haven’t seen this interview myself, so you’ll have to take it on trust.)  I suppose you all know it’s an open secret practically all Korean actresses (and some Korean actors too) had their faces “improved”.  You only have to compare the way they look in earlier and later dramas to see the BEFORE and AFTER.  Examples of actresses who have gone under the knife are too numerous to be cited here.  As for actors, Song Seung-Hun looks different after his stint in the army; before he resumed his acting career, he must have “enlarged” his eyes.

On my first trip to Korea six years ago, our local guide (a Chinese who has lived in Korea all his life) tells us all Korean girls go through these 3 stages of cosmetic surgery (in this order): (1) double eyelids, (2) nose job, and (3) paring the jaw bones (most Koreans have square jaws.)  He says it’s standard procedure: all girls save money for these facial operations which start right after high school graduation so they can prepare themselves for the world.  Now I don’t know whether he’s exaggerating, but all the Korean actresses I’ve seen are without exception beautiful (natural or not.)

To go back to JHJ, if he really said he could not afford cosmetic surgery because his family was too poor, I’d like to know which part of his face needs to be altered.  How can even the finest cosmetic surgeon in the world improve on perfection?

But another JHJ fan told me the other day that her Korean friend told her Koreans like actors with single eyelids.  That’s why the most popular actor is So Ji-Sub.  Then it struck me like a bolt of lightning — JHJ’s perfect looks is a handicap!  In any part of the world, good looks is always an advantage, but apparently in Korea it could work against you.  If your eyes are bigger, your nose is straighter, your mouth is cuter, your ears are more perfectly shaped, your forehead is higher, in short, your whole face is prettier than 99.9% of your compatriots, you might seem a little alien.

Good looks could also cause JHJ to be typecast.  There could not be another Andrea or Han Yee-Jun, but casting directors might hesitate to cast JHJ in the Lee Byun-Hyun role in “Iris”, for example, even though JHJ would have no problem playing that character.  If you’ve seen him in “G.P.506″ or even the way he glares at Eun-Jae (remember the glint in his eyes?) in “Only You”, you know JHJ is capable of playing a tough guy, even a bad guy.  He is that good an actor.  His chances to display his acting abilities, however, might be handicapped by his perfect face.  Such irony!

Some people may feel it is a pity JHJ’s acting career is interrupted by his two-year military service.  But from the little we have seen of him during this absence, he seems to be taking his duties very seriously and to have adapted to life in the barracks with no problem.  While most other actors became entertainment soldiers, JHJ opted to remain as an ordinary soldier.  These two years should make him tougher, brawnier, fitter, and more manly.  So I’m betting his comeback role will not be in a romantic drama but rather something in the vein of “Iris” (which does not rule out romance.)

To conclude, I’d like to mention that my best friend’s daughter Christina bought an “Iris” OST for me during a recent business trip to Seoul.  Christina takes care of Auntie M; she’s gotten me quite a few JHJ souvenirs.  The CD comes with a 48-page booklet of photos of the singers and the actors in the drama, but most are of LBH — very stylish, exquisite, and resplendent in gorgeous colours.  And I thought: when will our JHJ get this kind of superstar treatment?  I have JHJ OSTs but they’re nowhere near as well-packaged as this.  Still, there will be time, and there is hope in the future.

(Editor’s note: The title of this post is from the Ancient Roman orator and statesman Cicero [106-43 BC] whose quote goes like this — “The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.”  I was trying to decide between the Cicero quote and another of my favourites by Oscar Wilde — “A man’s face is his autobiography.  A woman’s face is her work of fiction.” )

These videos show Jo Hyun-Jae singing the two songs to be recorded on his CD — “Words you said to me” and “Like the wind by your side.”  Neither the audio nor the video is very good, but we are thankful to be given a glimpse into this exclusive event.

(Credit: Videos courtesy of maybe of EVERJapan.  Thanks!)

Not only are Jo Hyun-Jae fans talented.  Their children are also very artistic and creative.  The sketches below are the work of the 17-year-old daughter of Haru, a member of club.brokore.com/sodonyo.  Can she be considered a second generation JHJ fan?  Haru’s daughter is currently studying hard for her university entrance exam.  We wish her all the best.

(Credit: Haru’s daughter; http://club.brokore.com/sodonyo.  Thanks!)

I Care
About You

Because you’re someone
who means so much to me –
Because you have
a special place in my heart…..

I’m thinking
of you
and hoping
that you’re focusing all
your energies
on taking care
of yourself.

And then I wrote in Korean “Take care of yourself”.  This is one of the few Korean phrases that I can write (or rather copy), just to make doubly sure JHJ can understand (although many people have assured me most Koreans have no problem with simple English.)

These videos show the opening of the Nagoya Dinner Show on June 27, 2008.  Most of the very colourful photos in the first video have not appeared anywhere else before.

The second video shows Jo Hyun-Jae’s grand entrance onto the stage, a little blurry and shaky, but better than nothing.

(Credit: Videos courtesy of CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)

The Nagoya Fan Meeting, the last of the JHJ fan meetings in Japan in 2008, was held at The Westin in Nagoya on June 27.  It was actually a dinner show (yes, dinner was included, hence tickets three times as expensive as the earlier fan meetings.)

Here is the evening show in pictures:

(Credit: Photos from CarpeDiemJAPAN; http://club.brokore.com/sodonyo; and sarara21.  Thanks!)

Zoe, who wrote the lyrics of that lovely song “Beautiful Dream” featured on New Year’s day on our blog, can also draw.  See these sketches she made of Jo Hyun-Jae? 

These are dedicated to all fans who have remained constant in their love and support of JHJ.  We’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, well, almost…..Hang in there!

2008.6.23 (Monday) Tokyo’s Sun Plaza

The second of Jo Hyun-Jae’s Fan Meeting was in Tokyo’s Sun Plaza which could hold 2100 people. Before the scheduled time of 3 p.m., many fans were already gathered in the lobby, but they were asked to wait outside and not allowed in till 2 p.m. The Tokyo fans were more aggressive than the Osaka fans. As soon as they got in, they rushed upstairs to grab the JHJ souvenirs. I am not exaggerating — they did not queue up (not at first) and just pushed and shoved to get to the souvenirs. And I’m ashamed to say I did the same. I had to (to save my skin), and even then I was trampled on (my poor feet got trod on several times.) I had to buy more photo albums for my friends in China and some make-up mirrors (with two JHJ photos) which I did not see yesterday, more cell phone straps, and a JHJ florescent stick (to wave when he was singing.) When I finally made my way out of the mad crowd, it was like emerging from a war zone. These elegant women suddenly all became crazy, clawing and thrusting. Could they be, like me, doing something they never had the chance to do when they were teenagers and were now letting themselves go? How come JHJ with his clean-cut features, gentlemanly manners, upright character, and healthy lifestyle could have this effect on these ladies (me among them)?

With my precious purchases safely in the bag, I entered the hall and sat down to recover my breath. The stage set-up was similar to Osaka’s, except the JHJ banners were a little smaller (due to the size of the stage.) The opening was also different. There was no projection on the screen of JHJ backstage. He just walked onto the stage after the drum-roll, introduced himself, and sang the same opening song which sounded even better the second time I heard it. He was wearing a white suit this time, with a multi-coloured checked shirt (open low, but there was another T-shirt under that), and silver sports shoes, and his hairstyle was a little tousled — which produced a different effect from Osaka’s but equally breathtakingly handsome.

Then the Master of Ceremony (MC) (a different one) and the same interpreter came on stage. The format of the first part was the same as in Osaka, except JHJ looked less animated. He must have been so tired after yesterday’s show. But this MC was very sharp and kept prodding him, so that after a while JHJ was back to his bright, breezy self, especially in the second part.

After the short intermission, JHJ came out in a collarless T-shirt with grey-trimmed collar and short sleeves, white vest, casual black trousers, and white sports shoes. And he looked much fresher and more relaxed. Like yesterday in Osaka, he did the rounds of the hall, beginning with the 1/F balcony and then coming down to the main auditorium. This is the part when fans could have a close encounter with their idol.

The second part was Q & A (questions and answers) and games rolled into one, more compact and faster-moving than yesterday in Osaka. JHJ was very fair: he took care to choose fans from the 1/F balcony and every part of the main auditorium downstairs. One old lady at the back managed to catch JHJ’s attention by waving a colourful shawl. I didn’t understand what she asked JHJ but everybody laughed. And then she started to sing him a song which made him smile. Another lady asked a question which elicited an answer from JHJ that made everybody scream. I asked the Korean girl sitting next to me to translate. Japanese fan: “What is the most precious thing to you?” JHJ’s answer: “You — every one of you! All my fans!” When did he learn to say things like that? I thought he was never very good with words.

In between the Q & A and the games, the MC was saying there were some overseas fans in the audience. Don’t ask me how I knew. I heard the words “Hong Kong” and “Taiwan”, and I saw some people putting up their hands and shouting “Taiwan” (must be G on the other side of the auditorium.) So I put up my hand too and when the MC pointed to me, I stood up and shouted: “Beijing, China!” She asked me if I was in Osaka yesterday and I said “Yes.” Again, don’t ask me how I understood her; I just did.

Came the games part — the MC said something and everybody stood up and looked under their seats. If there was something there, you got to go on stage to receive a gift from JHJ. There were 9 lucky fans altogether. Each of them turned the Wheel of Fortune which determined what prize they got. There were “Seo Dong Yo” and “Only You” DVDs, T-shirts, caps, necklaces, bracelets, etc. Do you know how caring and considerate our Hyun-Jae was? For the ladies who won the DVDs, he not only autographed them but personalized them as well, that is, he wrote their names at the top. For the two luckiest (in my opinion), he put on the necklace and the bracelet for them, also the girl who won the baseball cap. I could only sit and watch with envy.

The show was over in two hours, but the handshaking part took longer because this Tokyo hall could accommodate 2100 people. The set-up was the same as in Osaka — first handshake, then photo with JHJ. While we were waiting and watching the other groups shaking hands and posing with JHJ, I got talking to the Korean girl sitting next to me. She could speak some English and she had a translation gadget with her, so we managed to communicate. She told me she had seen JHJ twice before in Korea, but never for so long and never this close. She asked me what I was going to say to JHJ when I shook his hand, (I didn’t say anything in Osaka), I suddenly had a brainwave. I asked her to teach me how to say in Korean: “Mr. JHJ, please come to China soon.” When it proved too difficult, I asked her to write it down for me in Korean. I told her I was going to show that sentence to JHJ when I shook his hand. Since she would be following me, I asked her to do me a favour and to say to JHJ: “You have a lot of fans in China.”

When it came to our turn, we had to wait for 10 minutes so JHJ could take a break. The Korean girl started counting and suddenly she whispered in my ear: “You’re #5 and I’m #6, which means we’ll be sitting on either side of JHJ!” And she was right! My God, lightning struck twice! Two times lucky for me! I couldn’t believe my good fortune! The Korean girl went on to say: “Why don’t we put our arm in his, just like some of the other women?” I said: “Oh no! I can’t! I dare not!” And she said: “We’ll never get another chance like this. The photo will be our happy memories forever.”

I struggled with myself, and when JHJ came to sit between the two of us, I didn’t know what came over me, but I did put my arm into his (and so did the Korean girl.) Hyun-Jae did not pull away, but some security man came over at once and “scolded” us. So you will see a very red-faced me when the photo comes out. But at least I touched his arm (bare skin and all!), or rather my sleeve did.

The Tokyo Fan Meeting was supposed to be from 3 – 6 p.m. but did not end until 7:30 p.m., again overrun by 1 1/2 hours. I remember thinking: If I were JHJ’s mother, my heart would ache at seeing him so over-worked. I am not his mother, but my heart still ached. JHJ bowed and smiled when he shook each fan’s hand, and he bowed twice when he came to each photo group of 30, and again bowed twice after the photo was taken. He was so polite and well-bred, with perfect manners.

The last part was the second song and the final “Goodbye”. No encores this time. JHJ must be so exhausted. Again part of the proceeds of the show went to charity. JHJ is not only a beautiful face; he also has a beautiful heart! And I am proud to be a JHJ fan!

EPILOGUE

After the Fan Meeting, we went with some Japanese friends to a Korean restaurant. When the meal was almost over, one of them received a call. Their “spy” informed them that JHJ was at another Korean restaurant a stone’s throw away and that he would be leaving in about 10 minutes. We dropped everything and rushed out. We saw the Mercedes-Benz S500 and the chauffeur waiting for JHJ. We stood discreetly at a distance. We were not going to take photos; we didn’t want to disturb him. We just wanted to wave goodbye. After a short time, the chauffeur drove the car 10 feet up the road, and several security men came out onto the pavement. One of them kept us at a distance, so that when JHJ finally came out of the restaurant, he was ushered into the back of the car, shielded by security men. We could not even catch a glimpse of him! But his “boss” came out later and talked to our CAFE Japanese friends. The Japanese lady told us this man was like a father to JHJ, so he was in good hands, which made me feel better. So this was the end of my dream trip to meet Jo Hyun-Jae in Japan, memories of which will have to last through the next two years when he is in the army.

THE END

(Originally published on johyunjaeChina in July 2008)

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There are many MV versions of this very popular Korean song “Mad! Mad! Mad!”  The Korean fans made this JHJ MV using the song.  It’s fun!  Enjoy!

(Credit:http:// blog.naver.com; cix.co.kr; www.johyunjae.com.  Thanks!)

There are hardly any videos of the Japan Fan Meetings in Osaka or Tokyo.  These are the only two we could find after scouring the internet.  That’s why you have to buy the DVD!

That’s the Japanese MC on the right of JHJ and the interpreter on his left.  In the first video JHJ is showing the personal items he is giving to his fans — the T-shirt etc.  In the second video they are getting ready to play games.

(Credit: Videos courtesy of http://cafe.daum.net/hyunjaelove.  Thanks!)