PUBLISHED ONJuly 02, 2024 3:31 AMByYeo Shu HuiFor Malaysian Henry Arrayyan, travelling to Singapore last Sunday (June 30) was the first time he had gone overseas in his life.
The 28-year-old fashion advisor, who arrived at 11.30am, told AsiaOne at the Singapore Expo on Sunday that it was all worth it, because he was finally getting to meet South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok in person at his Summer Letter fanmeet.
"I liked Woo-seok after watching Lovely Runner and wanted to see him in real life, and it's finally happening. I have never been to any events before but because of him, I am here," said Henry, adding that he is a fan of Korean dramas.
He was among the sea of Tong Tongs (name for Woo-seok's fans) waiting in line to enter Hall 3A, where the fanmeet was held, and what made him stand out most was his clothes - he was wearing Ryu Sun-jae's school uniform, the character Woo-seok, 32, played in Lovely Runner that shot him to fame.
When asked about his unique costume, Henry shared: "I wanted to be noticed by him, so I tried my best to follow what he wore and was inspired by Lovely Runner. I think this is a good outfit."
He added that he noticed most of the fans at the venue were girls and hoped that Woo-seok knows he has fanboys as well.
"I hope that I can represent all the fanboys [to tell him] that we all love him and show our support for him," said Henry.
And he was not the only overseas fan who was at the Singapore Expo that day.
Indonesian Echa Rafika Duri arrived in Singapore on June 28 with her friends and distributed merchandise, including handheld fans and keychains, for free to Tong Tongs.
The 27-year-old post-graduate student, who went to Woo-seok's fanmeet in Jakarta on June 28, wasn't at the Singapore Expo to attend the event, but to share her appreciation for the star with other fans
"I love Byeon Woo-seok, I love him!" she laughed.
Some local fans who were there included nurse Syaza Binte Effendy Iskandar and her friend, patient service associate Syahindah Binte Zulkifli, both 20.
Syahindah, who celebrated her birthday that day, wore a silver sparkly sash with the words "Birthday Girl" on it.
"I hope that Woo-seok can sing or wish me a happy birthday. That would be the greatest birthday gift that I can ever ask for," she said.
Filipino Jaby Lavadia became a fan of Woo-seok since he played Poong Woon-ho in the movie 20th Century Girl (2022).
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The 43-year-old patent executive, who has been working in Singapore for 14 years, shared that she had to purchase her ticket in the bronze category on Carousell for about $15 more than its original price of $140 as tickets were sold out quickly on the main website.
Jaby added that she was so excited to see Woo-seok in person that she went to Changi Airport on June 29, hoping to catch a glimpse of him when he arrived in Singapore, but didn't manage to.
"I was at the airport at 8am because I didn't know what time he would arrive… I was going between Terminal 2 and 3 and checking the flight details," she shared.
Some netizens claimed they were told Woo-seok had left the airport through the VIP route and some fans went to the airport carpark to try to see him but it was all in vain.
However, others reportedly saw a black van, allegedly with Woo-seok inside, exiting the carpark at about 6.10pm, with a few other vans following closely behind.
Woo-seok held his Summer Letter fanmeet in Singapore on June 30. Besides interacting with his fans, he also sang hits from the Lovely Runner soundtrack, including Loveholic, I Think I Did and Sudden Shower (also known as Sonagi).
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