Thousands of Indonesian fans of Joo Won won’t forget October 9^th, 2015, because that day they could see the much-loved actor with their own eyes through an open meet and greet held at the Main Atrium of LOTTE Shopping Avenue (LOVE) in Jakarta. Joo Won was visiting Jakarta and Singapore with Park Hyesu, who starred as his sister in Korean hit drama The Gang Doctor (Yongpal).

The meet and greet was held in the evening, because Joo Won had a press conference at Keraton at the Plaza first in the afternoon, but fans have been pouring into the M&G venue since the morning. Three hundred first comers received a set of The Gang Doctor limited edition postcards.

As the day drew on, more and more fans came, taking positions not only on the first floor right in front of the stage, but also on the second, third, and even fourth floors, leaning on the rails encircling the main atrium. Some fans even chose to just stand outside, with the hope of catching a glimpse of Joo Won as he arrived and left.

Fans erupted in cheers when finally the MC, Ichsan Akbar, announced that Joo Won and Park Hyesu would soon make an appearance. Ichsan asked them to call for Hyesu, because she would grace the stage first. Fans duly did what they were asked to do, and Hyesu answered their call by showing up, smiling. She didn’t look nervous, but instead radiating a calm beauty. She looked excited to see the great number of fans present. Fans looked very excited too; some commented loudly about how pretty she was and gave her a heart sign.

Hyesu said she was really happy to be in Jakarta. The Gang Doctor was her TV drama role debut, and she was so glad that the drama became hugely popular. And it’s such a joy to star with Joo Won in the drama, because he is such a nice person. Joo Won did not only help her with acting during the drama shooting, but he’s also a good oppa in real life. Hyesu then whole-heartedly sang Please Remember Only Me, her contribution to The Gang Doctor soundtrack, welcomed by a loud applause by fans.

Hyesu then excused herself, and the audience knew that it’s time for Joo Won to appear. But before that, MC Ichsan asked fans to yell “Joo Won-oppa, saranghaeyo!” three times, and fans did so with such passion that the air vibrated with their voices. And yes, finally the man whom they had been waiting for appeared: one of the Kings of Hallyu himself, Joo Won. Fans’ screams just got louder, and Joo Won couldn’t contain his smile. He looked so touched, waving to fans in all directions, including those on the higher floors and at the sides of the stage. He moved his shoulders while laughing happily as the audience screamed again when he sat down on a provided stool.

Ichsan said happy birthday to the actor who’d recently had his 28^th birthday in September, and it was a cue for the fans to sing Happy Birthday to him. He thanked them by making a gesture as if hugging them all, and putting his thumbs up. He thanked everyone who had come to meet him on his first visit to Indonesia and who had given him an unforgettable birthday, referring to the spontaneous choir of Happy Birthday.

He answered questions about The Gang Doctor, saying that he’s very happy to be part of a drama that he’d never expected to be very popular. Before going to Jakarta, he also checked his social media accounts, and he saw how enthusiastic were the fans who were waiting for him. It really touched him! But he reminded them not to push each other because it’s already very crowded and could be dangerous, especially because he could see that there were younger fans among the audience.

Three ONE viewers who had been chosen previously then were ushered on to the stage. One of them won a chance to have a selfie with Joo Won. Another was allowed to look straight into Joo Won’s eyes for 5 seconds. We understood very well if she looked nervous and not knowing where to look at first—we bet we would act the same if we were her! Yet another winner got a hug from the actor. In whose shoes do you want to be, ONers? Would you rather…

Have a selfie with him?

Look deeply into his eyes?

Or hug him?

After having a photo group with the winners (with Ichsan jocularly claiming that they looked like the Cemara Family, from a popular Indonesian TV series), Joo Won then waited as the stage was getting readied for fansigning, making funny faces and waving at fans. Hyesu joined him on stage, and then both of them signed on promotional posters provided for Indovision subscribers who were entitled to the fansigning. These winners too looked very happy because they could be so close with Joo Won and Hyesu!

Joo Won and Hyesu then had their pictures taken from stage with the M&G attendees as the background. Joo Won also took pics with his own mobile phone, the result of which can be seen on his Instagram account.

Once again, Hyesu thanked fans who had come, saying that she’s very happy to visit Indonesia to meet them. She also hoped that she could return to Indonesia again.

Joo Won thanked fans for having showered The Gang Doctor and himself with a lot of love. He hoped fans would continue to love him and also his future drama series, and that they could meet again in the next fanmeeting. With a good night, Joo Won took his leave, again waving to all corners of the mall where he could lay his eyes on. He and Hyesu had to go, and fans will definitely miss them. But they can still watch and re-watch The Gang Doctor to relive the memories.

In Indonesia, The Gang Doctor is broadcast by ONE (Indovision channel 164) every Thursday and Friday at 19.55. For those who missed the drama earlier, ONE will have it on re-run starting on November 7, every Tuesday at 15.30 with two episodes back-to-back.

Visit www.onetvasia.com/JooWon for more information!

Want to know more about what Joo Won said during the Jakarta meet & greet to fans? Please wait for the last installment in our series of report of Joo Won’s visit to Indonesia!

New Korean dramas are placed in the Ppali ppali segment, which means that they will be aired for Indonesian viewers one day after their first broadcast in South Korea.

To know more about ONE (owned by Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia) and ONE HD, visit www.onetvasia.com.

See more pics of Joo Won while he’s in Jakarta on our Instagram.