International Fans Give Warm Send-Off to Hyun Bin

Published on 2011/03/10 | Source

South Korean actor Hyun Bin, in green coat, sings with fellow recruits during an admission ceremony for new soldiers at the Marine Corps Training Center in Pohang on March 7.

The Wall Street Journal's Korea RealTime reports that a multitude of Hyun Bin fans, "mostly women and many from Japan and elsewhere, went to the Marines Corps Training Camp to wish him well. Some Japanese fans reportedly chartered buses from the Busan airport to the training camp site in Pohang".

As the blog put it, "It was a bittersweet scene that looked like it could have come from a TV drama itself. Hyun Bin – the star of this season's most popular TV drama in South Korea and one that has built a huge following around Asia, "Secret Garden" – on Monday enrolled in the Marines to satisfy compulsory military service requirements".

The report by Evan Ramstad also pointed out that "onn Tuesday, images of Mr. Hyeon's entry to the corps made the front page of several national newspapers and kept being repeated on the TV newscasts. Even Japanese TV stations sent crews to cover Mr. Hyeon's farewell to fans. The Marines made the most of Mr. Hyeon's arrival. It provided room for the fans, access to the press and lots of details about Mr. Hyeon's enlistment".

The writer continues: "When Mr. Hyeon took off a cap to show his short-cut hair, the crowd screamed. 'Ever since last year, I've received a vast amount of love and support that I can't handle on my own', he said, shedding tears. 'I don't know how to repay it all back. I'll make sure to spend my two years wisely to repay all the love that I am receiving right now'. Then, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head to the ground. The crowd screamed again".