Junho recalls 17 years of buying meals for 2PM fans with his own money

AKP STAFF

Singer-Actor Junho shares memorable stories about fans.

On September 24th KST, Junho appeared as a guest on the web variety show ‘Salon Drip 2’ on the YouTube channel ‘TEO.’ During the show, Junho shared some unique characteristics about 2PM fans. “We (2PM) speak informally to our fans to feel closer to them. There’s also an unspoken rule. We are called ‘oppa,’ even when we’re not technically their oppa, and that helps break down barriers,” Junho explained.

Jang Do Yeon mentioned the current trend of celebrities interacting with fans on their way home, asking “Did you eat?” She then said, “I’ve heard that you’re one of the pioneers of this trend.”

Junho replied, “I’ve been asking ‘Did you eat?’ for almost 17 years. I think meals are very important. When fans come to our shows, they often don’t get a chance to eat because they wait for so long.”

He reminisced about an incident from 2013 during 2PM’s ‘A.D.T.O.Y.’ promotions, before the fan-gifting culture became common: “Fans were waiting at the open broadcast without having eaten. I asked the company if we could buy them food, and they responded, ‘Whose money would we use?’” Jang Do Yeon commented that the company’s response was “too harsh,” and Junho continued, “There wasn’t a fan-gifting culture back then. I’ve been paying for fans’ meals with my own money for 17 years, and eventually, the other members joined in as well.” This dedication to his fans moved everyone.

Despite his deep love for fans, Junho also shared how he has struggled with obsessive fans (sasaengs): “After our song ‘My House’ became a hit, I think some fans took the lyrics literally. I’ve had people actually show up at my house. One time, at 3 AM, both the building entrance and my apartment doorbell were ringing constantly.”

He continued: “Once, I came home after work and the door was open. Right before the sensor light turned on, I heard ‘Oppa.’ I was terrified but stayed calm. When I asked who it was, they said, ‘It’s me.’” This story shocked everyone.

Junho added: “I wondered what was happening and saw someone sitting on a box of drinks. When I asked how they got here, they said they came from another country and said, ‘You told me to come home.’ So, I realized that some people actually took the song literally. I escorted them to my manager. The power of a song can be really strong.”