Invited by Ben Chan himself, the man behind Bench, one of the country’s biggest lifestyle and clothing brands, “Squid Game” and “Little Women” star Wi Ha-Jun flew to Manila to meet with his Filipino fans for the very first time! You can catch him in a one-time only event at the New Frontier Theater later today.
Text and photos by Ma. Angelica Demegillo
Armed with good looks, a charming smile and incredible acting talent, it’s easy to see why his fans have fallen in love with him. Wi Ha-Jun has this sweet and contagious “gummy” smile that tends to catch you off guard. His demeanor—calm, his charms—manly, as displayed during his exclusive press conference with members of the media ahead of his fan meet event dubbed, “Gameplay With Wi Ha Jun: The Fan Meet,” which is taking place today, Sunday afternoon, at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao.
Filipino fans of Wi Ha-Jun, dubbed “Wively,” could consider themselves lucky, as it was revealed that out of all the countries where he has thousands of admirers, he chose the Philippines to be the venue for his first-ever fan meet!
Asked about his first impression of the Philippines, the actor mentioned the warm weather, as well as the warm welcome he received from his fans who waited for his arrival at the airport.
Since it is his first time to visit the country, he also shared his plans of going on a holiday to some of the country’s hottest tourist spots, like Cebu and Boracay, as well as things he’d like to do during his stay.
“I want to visit Boracay and Cebu, have a vacation for myself. I personally want to visit Bench stores with posters of me and see the fans there, as well,” said Ha-Jun, who looked effortlessly handsome, garbed in a dark Bench polo shirt and faded blue jeans, through an interpreter.
Getting to know Ha-Jun
Ha-Jun has been in the entertainment industry for quite some time now, working as an actor and a model. You might recognize him from his most recent role in the hit Netlix series, “Squid Game,” where he starred as a police detective named Hwang Jun-Ho, who infiltrated the 2020 Squid Game headquarters and unveiled the truth behind the game. Prior to his success in “Squid Game,” which ultimately helped propel his career and popularity, Ha-Jun also starred in a number of television series, namely “Bad and Crazy,” “Romance is a Bonus Book,” “Something in the Rain” and “18 Again,” as well as in films “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum,” “Midnight” and “Shark: The Beginning.”
Without a doubt, “Squid Game” took the world by storm and became a widely talked-about pop culture phenomenon. Wi Ha-Jun’s popularity definitely skyrocketed because of it, changing his life in ways he never imagined.
“Through ‘Squid Game,‘ there were a lot of changes in my life. I was able to do a lot of things that I wasn’t able to do before and I can say that through ‘Squid Game,’ I got the opportunity to be able to sit here with you,” he said.
Out of all the characters he has played, Ha-Jun said that he shares the most similarities in terms of personality with his character, Hwang Jun-Ho, in “Squid Game.”
“When I was preparing for this role, the people around me told me that I am similar to my character. I also agree with that, because I myself also have a sense of justice and I tend to be consistent with things that I want to resolve.”
As for his favorite role so far, Ha-Jun easily answered that his star turn in “Bad and Crazy” is his favorite and that he felt “cute” doing the role.
“It was a very challenging role for me as an actor. It allowed me to put myself down and break my own personality to be able to fulfill this role,” he revealed.
While he had dabbled in various genres for his acting projects, Ha-Jun said he definitely wants to try getting involved in love stories, as well. He revealed that he is a probinsyano, who grew up in the province and so for his next dream role, he’d like to try acting as a rough province boy who fell in love with a beautiful girl.
Despite his huge success, the actor revealed that his family helps him stay grounded, as well as his fans, to whom he is very much grateful–most especially his Filipino supporters.
Ha-Jun revealed that he religiously checks the Instagram fan page dedicated to him by his Filipino fans.
“I check out their posts every day and I really see that there isn’t a day that they don’t post about me. They also send cheerful motivational messages through their stories. I look at it every day and I feel really motivated by that,” Ha-Jun cheerfully shared. As an actor, he said that the most rewarding thing for him is seeing his family enjoy watching his projects, and him having the opportunity to hold a fan meeting.
Wi Ha-Jun’s most recent work is an upcoming series with another Korean actor and fellow Global BENCHSetter, Ji Chang-Wook, titled “The Worst of Evil,” which is slated to premiere on Disney+ in the second half of June.
“Gameplay With Ha Jun: The Fan Meet” is organized by Bench. The fun event is slated to take place at the New Frontier Theater later today, 5 p.m.. Catch Wi Ha-Jun in the flesh and and get ready for those kilig feels.
