Lee Dong Wook's 20th Anniversary Fan Meeting in South Korea
December 11, 2019How does it really feel to meet your long-time idol?
I have been a fan of Lee Dong Wook since "My Girl" era. He first visited the Philippines last 2006. I was just 10 years old by then so I was not allowed to go to Manila and see him. And besides, I wasn't interested in seeing my idols before. All I know that time is I need to study.
After 13 years, Lee Dong Wook once again visited the Philippines. This time, it's for a free event by KTO Manila. I still tried my luck to be part of the 100 lucky fans who'll get to see him up-close.
(photo from KTO Manila)
Unfortunately, I did not get any email. I planned on attending the event even if I am on the second floor. But, the calltime for Good Friends in Manila concert is the same time with his event. So, I wasn't able to attend.
Thanks to kpopchannel.tv, I was able to at least see him in the airport. Lee Dong Wook arrived almost the same time as Ha Sungwoon (he will be performing at the Good Friends in Manila). Because I only saw him for a short time, I was eager to see him again.
King Kong by Starship, Lee Dong Wook's agency, has announced that he is having his fan meeting in Korea to celebrate his 20th Anniversary since debut. Because our extended stay in South Korea was approved, my friend and I was able to attend his fan meeting in South Korea.
THE VENUE
2019 Lee Dong Wook Fan Meeting I'M WOOK
Aside from that, a lot of fan meetings were also held here, so it's really familiar to me.
How to go to Kyung Hee University Grand Palace
(Note: This is how we did it and I would appreciate if you have an easier way.)- We went down to Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies station (위대앞) Exit 1. It is in Line 1.
- After that, we checked our maps and just walked for around 10 minutes.
- We have finally arrived.
The hardest part in going to the venue is it's a little bit steep. But going back, it's easier. A lot of people say, you can also go down to Hoegi Station, just a station away from Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies, and ride a bus.
We first claimed our tickets at the designated booth and waited to go inside the venue.
This is Ms. Jay, the friend that I am referring to earlier. She is the one who bought our tickets for the fan meeting. We looked so tired here because of walking. lol
After a few minutes of waiting and looking for freebies, we went inside the venue. And this is how it looks like.
You can immediately see Lee Dong Wook's big banner. And when you continue walking, you're gonna see more banners of Lee Dong Wook at the side.
The place is really nice. A lot of people may have attended but it's not that crowded. We decided to enter the hall to find our seats. When entering, the staff gave us some freebies and those freebies were really cool! I will be posting a more detailed info about these freebies in the later part of this blog.
I really feel so excited entering the venue because it's gonna be my first time attending a fan meeting in Korea. How does fan meetings work in Korea? Is it the same like in the Philippines? Those were the things that entered my mind.
Here is our view from our seats. Since we bought tickets late, we were quite far from the stage. But you can still clearly see him. I felt like I was attending a fan meeting at the New Frontier Theater.
The program started with Lee Dong Wook roaming around the whole venue, giving roses, and started wearing his coat. He really wants to make this fan meeting an intimate one.
Unfortunately, this photo was against the light so you can only see a silhouette of Lee Dong Wook. But yes, we were close to him. A few minutes later, he went on stage and bowed down to everyone, including the second floor.
There were times in the fan meeting that I can't laugh with them because I didn't understand what they said. But there were times that I understood something. Especially when he was announcing that he is going to have his first talk show.
The whole fan meeting lasted for about 3-4 hours? Yes. It was THAT long.
Difference between PH and Korea Fan Meeting
These were the things I noticed.
The ticket price were cheaper. (of course, duh!)
The common price of a fan meeting here was around 2500-13,000 PHP. Meanwhile, here, it's just around 3000 PHP (all seats). Well, of course, it's in South Korea! They don't need to travel too far and book hotel and stuff like that, that's why it's cheaper. That's why living in South Korea is fun if you're a fan. You have easier access to your favorite artists.
The staff never checks your bag when entering the venue.
In the Philippines, you need to have your bags checked before entering the venue. Sometimes, big bags aren't even allowed. But here, I can clearly see some big bags and they won't be checking it when you enter. They will just tell you the rules and that's it. That may be the reason why there was no long lines when entering the venue.
The fans were not too loud but you can feel how much they love the artist.
Okay. In this part, I somehow missed the Filipino fans' screams. The fans during this fan meeting barely scream. Well, they do from time to time but not all throughout the event. It was really like a meeting where Dong Wook is our head. But you know what I liked about this one, I can appreciate Dong Wook more because it was a bit calm there. I can hear all the things he is saying, and even the songs he performs.
The fans can just talk to the artist as if they were just friends.
I remember when the crowd was quiet and a fan shouted something to Lee Dong Wook. Then Lee Dong Wook had a short conversation with her. I was amazed how that works. Like, can I also shout and talk to him? Unfortunately, I didn't understand what they were talking about so I'd rather just keep my mouth shut. lol.
In the Philippines, you can't simply talk to the artist like that. The artist won't hear you. I can still remember how Park Bo Gum once tried to talk to the fan asking her name during a segment in his fan meeting in Manila. But they weren't able to talk with each other.
The fan meeting itself was a fan meeting.
There were a lot of fan interactions which was way different in the Philippines. In the Philippines, it's either a talk show where the emcee will get to ask questions to the artist, a game segment where the artist plays with himself, or a fan meeting that has more performances than the actual fan interaction.
The fan meeting in Korea is what I can say the true fan meeting. There were a lot of fan interactions. Lee Dong Wook tried to accommodate everyone and really showed how thankful he is for the past 20 years.
The fan meeting was LONG!
Like what I have mentioned earlier, it lasted for about 3-4 hours. In the Philippines, you're considered lucky if the fan meeting lasted for 3 hours.
Before I end this blog post, I'll be sharing to you the freebies that I got from this fan meeting.
The bag consists of a Peach Water, a photocard with a discount coupon, a customized enamel pin, a puzzle board, a post card with Lee Dong Wook's message. The banner and photocards (I forgot to add the photocards on the pic) were actually from his fansite. (By the way, I love the Peach Water, it tastes really good).
My whole experience was really great and I am looking forward to attend more fan meetings in Korea. I promise, by then, I'll understand what they're saying. lol. Another dream come true for a fangirl like me.
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