Actor Shin Hyun-joon appeared on tvN’s ‘You Quiz on the Block’ on September 23 after completing a fan meeting in Lima, Peru.
The overseas fans he met again remembered the character Han Tae-hwa from the 2003 drama ‘Stairway to Heaven.’
The process by which the popularity of an old work led to an in-person meeting with an actor is at the center of this story.
3-Line Summary
1. Shin Hyun-joon appeared on a broadcast after his Peru fan meeting.
2. Two events were held in Lima on September 12.
3. Memories of Han Tae-hwa brought fans and the actor together again.
Two ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Performances Held in Lima
According to a report by Sports Seoul, Shin Hyun-joon held the ‘MEMORIES TO HEAVEN’ fan meeting and concert at the Meriton Carvajal Auditorium in Lima, Peru, local time on September 12. The events were held twice that day, at 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The performance reportedly consisted of an orchestra led by pianist and composer Tonny Keys, along with the OST from ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ Because it revisited scenes featuring Han Tae-hwa, played by Shin Hyun-joon, alongside the music, it was closer to an event that brought back memories of the work than simply an opportunity to meet the actor.
The fact that the drama, which aired in 2003, drew renewed attention in Peru, and that local fans called him “Tae-hwa oppa,” was also discussed on the broadcast on the 23rd. Shin Hyun-joon said he arrived at the recording site immediately after finishing the Peru fan meeting.
The Reasons for His Popularity and the Fan Meeting Atmosphere Revealed on the Broadcast
According to a report by Joynews24, Yoo Jae-suk asked why Shin Hyun-joon, among several leading actors, was especially loved locally. Shin Hyun-joon answered to the effect that his appearance may have helped local viewers become immersed, and also mentioned Han Tae-hwa’s devoted love story, in which the character gives his corneas to the person he loves and dies.
OSEN reported that Shin Hyun-joon said there were also fans who had come from Chile, and that he sang songs and went into the audience to meet the fans. It is notable that memories of a character from the work crossed national borders and led to an actual meeting at a performance venue.
Meanwhile, the expression “Prince of Peru” and the excitement at the airport were reactions introduced by the broadcast’s cast and media reports. Rather than interpreting them broadly as an objective popularity ranking or as representative of the entire region of South America, it is more accurate to view them as the welcome shown by local fans at the Lima fan meeting and on the broadcast.
Shin Hyun-joon’s Appearance, Which Also Led to Family Stories
On the same broadcast, Shin Hyun-joon also shared an anecdote from when he was choosing his first son’s name. According to Sports Chosun, he said that seeing the name candidates his mother-in-law had received from a naming service brought to mind the name and T-shirt of a particular escaped convict.
In the end, his first son was named “Min-jun,” a name suggested by the late Kim Soo-mi. Shin Hyun-joon explained that the character “Jun,” from the way his father used to address him, had remained with him for a long time. The story of Han Tae-hwa in Peru and the family’s naming story were both moments when he brought the time and memories he had lived through back out on the broadcast.
References
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