It was a chaotic day for fans of South Korean actors Song Hye-kyo and Cha Eun-woo as crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of them.

Eun-woo, 26, and Hye-kyo, 41, were at Ion Orchard yesterday (Sept 5) for Chaumet's pop-up boutique. AsiaOne headed down expecting a large audience but was still shocked to see the size of the crowd.

Besides the barricaded pop-up booth area located at the first level atrium, fans were also lined up along the second storey. We managed to get into the barricaded area, where everyone was packed together like sardines.

Security tried to control the situation by getting fans to move and continue walking, even raising their voices at some, while staff members came down to remind fans to keep hydrated and avoid pushing each other.

Some fans had DSLR cameras with them while others brought stools to get a better view.

Eun-woo appeared first at around 3.15pm, and chaos ensued.

The actor-singer, who is also a member of the K-pop group Astro, is best known for his lead roles in My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018) and True Beauty (2020). More recently, he starred in Island (2022-2023).

Though we were just as starstruck by the "face genius" as fans were, it was hard to get a good view with tripods and phones in the way.

"Stop pushing! Can everyone at the back stop pushing?" yelled one fan at the front, to no avail.

Fans chanted his name as Eun-woo posed for photos.

Around 25 minutes later, he left and so did some fans.

We expected Hye-kyo to appear next, but word spread that she would make her appearance at 5pm and the remaining fans sat on the floor to wait it out.

"I came here first. Can you not take my place?" we heard an agitated man say to another in front of him.

Declining an interview, the man was sitting on a stool with a DSLR camera in hand, claiming that he came at 8am to see Hye-kyo.

The smell of butter chicken wafted through the air and we turned to see three girls eating behind us. Speaking to AsiaOne, the girls revealed that they are international students from Indonesia studying in a Singapore university.

"I came here at 10.30am to see Eun-woo. My friends came later. Since Hye-kyo will be here, I'll wait and see her too," said Madeleine, 21, who was sharing a container of rice and butter chicken with Novria, 20.

Haura, 18, added that she came at noon and joined them later.

Security handed out biscuits to other hungry fans, who munched on them while they waited.

Hye-kyo is best known for her lead roles in The Glory (2022-2023) and Descendants of the Sun (2016), but longtime K-drama fans would know her from her 2004 hit drama Full House which she starred alongside Rain.

After what felt like days, the queen herself finally appeared around 5pm.

Contrary to the deafening screams when Eun-woo arrived, the fans around us were stunned into silence when Hye-kyo walked in.

It didn't last long though, as fans from all around the mall screamed to get her attention.

"Chiobu ah!" yelled one fan, causing everyone around them to laugh.

"Song Hye-kyo! Song Hye-kyo!" chanted the crowd as the actress filmed an interview.

Shy from the attention, Hye-kyo laughed and covered her mouth. She turned and thanked her passionate fans from afar.

Fans were fighting for her attention, with many calling her "unnie". Though it translates to "older sister", it is a Korean term used by girls to refer to an older woman, even if they are unrelated.

"Unnie, you are so pretty!" a fan screamed.

As Hye-kyo waved and made her exit, another belted out the lyrics to a song from Descendants of the Sun: "You are my everything!"

While the crowd dissipated, we spoke to a remaining fan who excitedly shared her experience with us.

Jannis, 24, managed to secure a spot at the front despite coming at noon.

"I came at 12 to see both of them. It was worth it," she said with a smile, adding that she watches Eun-woo and Hye-kyo's shows.

Both Eun-woo and Hye-kyo impressed fans in a previous appearance for the French luxury brand when they attended the Chaumet Gala dinner in June.

Netizens commented that they gave off regal vibes and even dubbed them the "royal siblings".

syarifahsn@asiaone.com

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