From bb's blog- http://happiebb.blogspot.com/

original in japanese: It’s Koreal 2007-07 p. 1-8
scanned & posted by: heejin / byjfan
translated into english: a sweet sister / bb's blog
pics added by: yours truly, me!


Discovered!
Yong Joon-san’s 24 Secrets - We Don’t Overlook Anything

This second survey follows the last issue when we ran the results of the survey by copy writer, Matsuyama Junko, author of The BYJ Theory, who conducted this survey on her blog from April 15 – April 25.

Hair
Since he’s grown his hair long, when he brushes his front hair upwards, his habit seems to be to use his two fingers, the little finger and ring fingers to comb the hair upwards, while the middle and index fingers stand straight up. Did he learn how to hand comb from his hairdresser? (yonq-san)



His habit of using his little finger and ring fingers is unique. I am a hairdresser and the way he brushes his hair up is the same technique used after setting the hair or using a comb to give movement to hair. (Puri-san)

Eyes
When he looks back, he will unconsciously close his eyes and then open his eyes slowly while turning around. The expression of his deep-set double eyelids, during this moment, has an out-of-this-world beauty and sexiness. (mika jun-san)

My secret joy to watching Yong Joon is when he changes eye gazes. First, he will raise his eyebrows, then shift his gaze, and then move his face in that direction. The pupils of his eyes will rise above the frames of the glasses. I love his teeny eyes during that instant. (ookii yagi-san)

When he changes his gaze, he will slowly close both eyes… Then while opening both eyes, he will raise his brow sharply. (hokuro-san)

When he reacts to the family’s sentiments, he will lightly close his eyes, and in the gesture where he lightly nods, you can feel his joy and sincerity. (dabide-san)



Yong Joon-san says, “I want to see every one of the family’s eyes!” doesn’t he? The other day, for the first time, I was able to see him up-close. At that time, he gazed firmly at each of the family in the eyes, with a serious look, that was enough to make us feel shy! What he has always been saying was not a lie…I realized that and the passion rose in my heart! (juna-san)

When he says, “Oh no, I give up” and that melting, smiling face where he closes his eyes (those cute droopy eyes) and shakes his head to the left and right! (Kikichan-san)

When he is very interested in something or disinterested, or wants to leave a person in the dark, his eyes will turn perfectly round. (snowdrop-san)

When Yong Joon-san winks, or when he closes one eye, he almost always closes the left eye. When he was young, there were times when he would close the right eye and those were the times when he was bad at winking so that his mouth would also contort. Now he is very good at winking. I think it’s a bit cute when I think of how hard he must have practiced to learn how to wink nicely. (mimi-san)

Glasses
When YJ slides his glasses to change their position or when he moves them up and down, he will use his entire right hand as if encasing the glasses. Usually, don’t you pick up the glasses by the edge of the frame? (shiroi bineko-san)

Lips
When he is embarrassed, he will bite his lower lip. In the AS Directors Cut, after he kissed on the suspension bridge, he was embarrassed and bit his lower lip. Just as he said, “In-Su is me.” Was he really embarrassed? (mokku-san)

Before he is to be greeted by family, he slightly bites his lower lip. I think he does this to reduce the tension or to pump himself up. (tamae-san)



Isn’t he biting his lower lip when he’s happy or excited? Then he was making the heart mark too, wasn’t he? (rimechan-san)



I think he has the habit of biting his lower lip when he’s feeling a bit shy or feels awkward. Recently, when he was leaving Haneda Airport, he seemed to be embarrassed by the fans shouting, and he was biting his lower lip. When I unexpectedly saw him in Seoul, he smiled and then bit his lower lip. (apple-san)



I’m concerned about YJ-san’s gestures when his lips become dry. I seem to notice that he’s always concerned with the moisture of his lips while appearing on talk shows and such. Because they’re plump lips, could they be prone to dryness? (laughs) (tsubu shio-san)

What I notice is the way he traces his lip with his finger. He does this when he is asked an embarrassing question or a lengthy question. Is the half-open mouth a habit of his when he’s concentrating? (Puri-san)





The way he closes his mouth after he takes a bite of food. It looks like a mouth right before it’s about to be kissed. (yonnlove-san)



I love his mouth when he talks, when sometimes the corner of one side will droop and I find it very sexy. (konatsu-san)

Have you noticed his mouth moving unconsciously as if he’s mumbling? It’s as if he’s moving his tongue around in his mouth, or eating a piece or candy. I find that action captivating and I love it. (mam-san)

When he’s checking the monitor, I don’t know why but he’s always doing it with his mouth open (laughs). It’s not like he’s got his mouth wide mouth, “absentmindedly”… but I often discuss this with other Yong friends, “Did you see him, he had his mouth open again. His eyes were so serious though…But that’s what makes him so cute.” (tukusina-san)



Previously, I wrote that I loved his molars. The reason for this is that the upper left first incisor (fourth one) has the shape of a tulip. Normally, when you look at that tooth from the front, it has the shape of a water chestnut and when I think that it grew in around the age of ten, and has been around for about 24 years supporting YJ through all his meals, I think of how precious it is. He himself probably doesn’t know the shape of his teeth. (saya endo-san)

Hands
When he is holding something or when he touches something, his index finger (especially the left hand) is always extended. This hand expression is extremely beautiful! This is also seen in the scene in Sunny Place of the Young where he holds the cordless phone in his left hand.

Also in AS, where he’s peeling the melon and holding the melon in his left hand. There are other numerous scenes with his left hand. In Sunny Place of the Young, where he is in the café with Jeon Do Yeon, holding the coffee mug with both hands and his left index finger extends, separating from the other fingers is an action which strangely bothers me, and since then has caused me to take notice of his hands. (MK-san)

When you look at his hand holding a pen, when he writes, you see that the index finger is fully extended. I’m not too sure of this but the next time I get his autograph; I can check this out for myself, can’t I? But when will that be? (sae-san)



When he holds a photo, he will hold it sandwiched between his index and middle fingers. In AS, where he was looking at several wedding photo proofs and in the old O&N making photos, he was doing the same action! (ren-san)



When he’s embarrassed, he will make a ball with the fingers of his left hand and rub the backs of the fingers against his chin or under his nose! Now you can only find him doing this in an unguarded moment, but in the past, in “Sunny Place of the Young” in the date scenes with Jeon Do Yeon, you could see him doing this often (it’s almost embarrassing to watch). (Kikichann-san)





The gesture that weighs on my mind is when he’s rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand. Sometimes you can catch him rubbing his cheek in a making of CM, and in WS, at the seaside scenes, he rubbed the cheek of Princess Choi Ji Woo and in AS, he gently rubbed the cheek of Son Ye Jin. (boojun2-san)



My favorite habit of his is when he puts his hands on his thighs. In AS, before he leaves with Soo Jin’s father, he briefly touches his thighs while making an excuse. Also, after the AS concert ended, when he had to go onstage to give his greetings… After the Seoul premiere screening (when he didn’t have that off-the-brow hairstyle), and when he had to make the incense offering at the altar, he touched his thighs. I don’t know why, but I get a small “charge” out of these. (pichan-san)

I can’t get a certain pose out of my mind when he has to stand and pose, but recently, doesn’t it seem that he’s often seen with his hands clasped in the area around his stomach? In the first photos that came out for the Japanese version of Hotelier and in the SECOM CM, etc. etc. these are all elegant poses, but when I look further at them, they look like an Osaka merchant. Is it a Korean custom to not show your hands? (mam-san)





Clearly, it’s the “one hand in the pocket” I’m sure there’s a good reason for him to do this. But this weighs on my mind heavily…There are so many poses of him doing this at formal functions. (kabocha-san)



Previously, a Korean friend told me that when one hand is holding a microphone or waving with one hand, the other hand is placed in the pocket or placed near the belly button so that the hand doesn’t remain idle. If I remember, I think that friend may have put her hand on her chest when she had to give a speech… (punk-san)

At press conferences, he always holds the microphone with both hands. (cinnamon-san)



In the dramas, there are scenes where they burn paper, but is it safe to hold it in their hands? This is something I want to ask, since they hold the burning paper until the very last minute. At the Gosireh prayer ceremony, in AS, the cigarette was extinguished with the fingers, as was the incense flame also extinguished directly with the fingers. The lack of fear against fires fills me with a strange sense of his masculinity. I don’t know if these are impulsive acts, a part of acting, or maybe a result of the environment he was raised in. (enri-san)

Laughter
I think you can see this easily in the video of his dog shown in Tetsuko’s Heya, but when he laughs, all five fingers spread out to become like the shape of a “bamboo rake” and he brings his hand to his mouth, covering it, in a mischievous gesture. I think that is so like him. (takkichi-san)



His laughter is like a scene from a painting, or manga where his laughter can be expressed in words. That voice is so great! I don’t know of anyone else who laughs so clearly, “ha ha ha”.

Then after acting mischievously, with his mouth closed, the angle of his mouth will change and his facial expression will turn smug. It’s okay when he opens his large mouth to laugh boldly, but it’s also nice when he laughs contentedly without showing his teeth. (mam-san)

The last laugh he makes with his voice is what you call a suction laugh. (hokuro-san)

My most favorite smile was at the Saitama Super Arena during the Q&A session, when he smiled right before he answered, “an invisible person.” That was so indescribably cute and watching him, I couldn’t stop from breaking out into a big grin. (kyoko-san)

When I first saw WS, the first thing I noticed was that he raised the corner of his mouth to the left, and with his mouth closed, he would laugh spitefully. I don’t see him doing this recently but this is what I’m hooked on. (kyonn2-san)

This is the scene where Yujin hands Jun Sang the cushions in his new house in WS. After he holds her hand, he laughs wholeheartedly, which I think is the “real” part of him coming through. That laughter also appears in other interviews. (1216ur-san)

Eating
What comes to mind for me is how he holds chopsticks. Yong Joon-ssi holds them with three fingers using the thumb, index, and middle fingers. The top chopstick is controlled by the thumb and index fingers. But isn’t it difficult to move the chopsticks this way? (renge-san)



When he uses a sutkkarak (spoon) to eat chige, he doesn’t scoop the soup directly into his mouth but will tap the spoon against the dish before eating it. Then the way he uses chotkkarak (chopsticks) is beautiful. But I often see him with his elbows on the table, is this considered okay in Korea? (karura-san)



Drinking
What I think about is the way he holds a drinking glass. It’s slightly different and the way he does it seems to envelope the glass. He seems to hold the glass as if it were valuable and precious. When I try to imitate him and drink out of the glass, it’s difficult. (Kotonoha-san)



The elegant way in which he drinks beverages makes me giddy. He doesn’t put any pressure in his lips. When he drinks like that, the liquid should leak from the sides of his mouth. Everyone, please try it yourself. (totchan-san)

When he takes a drink, does his lower lip come into contact with the liquid?! I thought it looked like his lip was touching but wasn’t touching the glass or bottle. When I saw him in the making of Sympathy II drinking canned coffee, I also tried imitating the way he drank. Of course, the coffee spilled as it trickled out. (nana-san)



I often see him drinking after lightly placing the middle of his lower lip on the rim of the drinking glass. It looks like it is touching but not. That way in which the subtle touch of the lips….He’s probably drinking his beloved wines the same way too. He must drink out of plastic bottles the same way too. I tried copying the way he drinks out of plastic bottles, but I couldn’t do it right, and end up spilling it and also, when he chews, he doesn’t eat with relish but enjoys the food while showing gratitude; this is what I’ve come to notice about him. (ringo-san)

Smoking
The hand that he uses when he smokes gets stuck in my mind. He has an original way of holding a cigarette. He holds the cigarette lightly between the right index and middle fingers, and with the index finger extended, he smokes bringing the palm of the hand to the mouth as if covering it. Since smoking is bad for the health, I wish he would stop smoking if possible, but since the stress of filming increases the number of cigarettes smoked, I guess there’s nothing that can be done about this…. (yumi yumi-san)

Fashion
Ms. U has not mentioned it but in his private life he seems to wear the “black parka” a lot since he likes comfort and once he likes something, he will wear it a long time and it feels good (laughs). Then there is the “casket” and the “hunting” shaped black hats that are like his friends, since he seems to have been wearing them for so long. I don’t know if they’re the same thing but they’re of the same design type.

Up until WS, in his private time, when his hair wasn’t done he would cover up with hats. The shape of the “hats” he often used would remind me of my father’s black hiking hats or “excursion hat” which had the same type of brim width, but now that excursion hat image has disappeared, thanks to YJ, and I’m so happy.. (laughs) (Matsuyama Junko-san)



Yong Joon-ssi dresses in the stage assistant (kuroko) fashion doesn’t he? Parka + hat + sunglasses = 3 piece set basic foundation.

On top of that he wears a jacket and jeans. From top to bottom, he is an all-black costume and the car he rides in is also black! I don’t think he’s a fashion conscious type but because he’s not, he’s much more likeable. I’ve seen the black trench-type coat (the collar is subtlety different) in different versions, so is he the type to keep buying the same type of things? Clearly there are times when he wears the same things, and he seems to take good care of things, and this common-man quality seems to create a favorable impression. (blue topaz-san)

Note: Kuroko refers to stage assistants in kabuki or puppet shows that wear all black during a performance.





When he was attending the university, they say he was dressed everyday in black from head to toe. When I watched a Korean entertainment program, they showed a scene from his campus life where he really looked like a stage assistant, blending in with the regular students and he looked great. A taxi cab driver supposedly told him, “you need to be more fashionable even in your private life,” but I wonder has he recently been paying more attention? (an-san)



He is a major star but don’t you think that he takes very good care of things? The clutch bag that he had during his recent Japan visit (other sites called it a bank deposit bag), he first had it on his return home from the Australian fashion show, in 2004 during a location photo shoot, the same year during a secret visit to Japan (Fukushima) returning to Inchon Airport, during a secret trip in Hong Kong…these are all him carrying the same bag as this last visit.

Is it because quality items become easier to use with frequent use?

The white hoodie T-shirt of him seen at Gosireh, he wore as part of his personal wardrobe in the Megane Ichiba making of CM, didn’t he? Maybe he’s an expert at coordinating his wardrobe. (laughs) (kumiko-san)

YJ, for those people he really depends on, I guess he’ll turn everything over to them. When the stylist prepares his clothing, for example even if it’s a flowered shirt, he’ll wear it. He leaves all of his fashion and hair style matters up to the experts and keeps himself out of it! He doesn’t have to do a thing but remain quiet, while he lets them “do their thing”.

I like this pliable part of him. To put your trust in and then to turn everything over to someone is really a very difficult thing. (tukusina-san)



I feel that in every project he’s appeared in, the way he wears jackets, whether it’s because the size of the jacket he wears is too large, but the sleeves hide his hands and he seems like he’s hanging from a hanger? Twice, there were scenes where Yujin fixed Jun Sang’s collar (coat), and it’s my fun interpretation that these actions came naturally to Choi Ji Woo because she wanted to do so. (MK-san)

This is about his chest where ever since his photo book came out and except for suits, I think he always wears necklaces and pendants. Up to then, I don’t think I saw much of them. (mam-san)

What I’m very concerned with and always view in the making of DVD’s, is the casual way he takes off a coat or jacket to expose both shoulders. I end up finding the relaxed gesture oddly sexy. (aileen-san)



In AS, you remember he lowers his jacket down to his shoulders, that is an image I like, and I tried copying this past winter. But the gesture is hard to do. (laughs) (kumiko-san)



Doesn’t he always leave the buttons on the cuffs unbuttoned when he wears casual shirts? I love that casual type of feeling. (misyu-san)

Yong Joon-san appears to be meticulous but with the buttons neatly buttoned up to the top, the collar of his pajamas may be tucked inside, or both sleeves rolled up sloppily and unevenly. For someone with high professional standards, his lack of concern arouses my maternal instinct. (an-san)

Walking
Yong Joon-san always walks with big strides but when he walks dashingly slow, doesn’t he drag his heels? Even in WS, FL, and HWRL, when you can hear him dragging his heels on the ground when he walks, was that acting? I thought it was acting, but when I saw him walking the same way in a making of CM, I realized it was a habit of his. (kei-san)

Love Scenes
I feel Yong Joon-san’s incredible essence “because of” his love scenes. I don’t know if this is his normal way of making love (screams)? but his true self was revealed in AS, as even he has said, so I think that In-Su’s love scenes show Yong Joon-san’s considerable habitual practice of making love.

In the Director’s Cut, there is the kiss scene in the movie theater. Oh, there he goes…he leads you on, he stops partially…just when you think he’s going to stop, he doesn’t stop…he inches slowly closer…finally, he proceeds with confidence…he takes a long time. (karisu-san)

I am quite taken with how his jaw jerks, perhaps due to tension, when he kisses. (chanmi-san)



When a man embraces a woman, I think he will usually bring his arms around to the woman’s back or to her arms, but Yong Joon-san uses one hand to tenderly envelope his partner’s neck! He does this over the hair. Chan Woo, Min Hyung, Jae Ho, and Hyun Jung all did this. This has no relation to the characters he plays but this is Yong Joon’s habitual practice of making love. (mikajun-san)

When a hand is wrapped around the back of a woman’s neck…there is no escape from this…I’m imagining that Yong Joon-san is actually very skillful at handling women… (mitu-san)

Favorite Phrase
There is the pronunciation “~den”, isn’t there? That intonation is different from when he performs a role and when it comes to him speaking in the making of DVD’s and interviews, as he has a unique way of attaching a clause-break to it. Am I making myself clear…

This is entirely different from the vibrato Koreans often use to speak when they get emotional, but this is elegant and sexy, and I end up watching him do this repeatedly, so does this make me a maniac? My addiction is in the Asia Tour DVD, where he was in his hotel room getting the intravenous drip during his first Japan visit, and trying to sign autographs where this was obvious and the way he spoke was almost like singing!!

Voice
The pronunciation is not “~den” but “unde” (meaning though, because). Because he speaks the above-mentioned in a soft nasal tone, it may sound as if he’s saying, “~undehn”.

The intonation used here is the same as used by regular Koreans, but because Yong Joon-san has the characteristic of speaking softly, he has a musical quality. In the dialogue of his projects, he certainly does not speak this way. Whether that is a fault of his acting or a result of his personal charm, but it’s sad that foreigners can’t easily see this difference for themselves. (hokuro-san)



The voice he uses to give interviews and the tone he uses to talk to family is different. “When he speaks to family, his words are filled with love!?” or so I passionately become obsessed with the idea. (ringo-san)

Mmm
When he tries to think of a reply, his mouth will straighten in a line making an, “mmm” sound which makes a lasting impression for me. When he thinks really hard, he will close his eyes. During an interview, when he’s stumped and says, “mmm” with a troubled look, I feel he’s being honest, which I like very much. (MK-san)

I like it when he ponders a question saying, “mmm” in a nasal tone before answering the question. His normal speaking voice isn’t like that, so why is it that only “mmm” sounds nasal? (elegance-san)

I like his mannerism that he sometimes shows, where he sets his mouth in a straight line and raises the left corner of his mouth up signifying “mmm, that’s not quite right.” (myu-san)

During those times when family sends him emotional shouts of encouragement, he nods ever slightly, with the gaze of a parent showing affection. Even if one were not there, Yong Joon-san’s love and magnanimity would be conveyed like electricity. (kyoko-san)

I love the casual mannerism in which he nods, “mmm”. Especially when each one of us gazes at him with eyes overflowing with love, he looks out over the audience and nods back, “mmm, mmm,” as if accepting our thoughts… this happened at the Super Arena. He acknowledges each family, one by one, that visits the filming site, saying “mmm”… though there may be no words spoken, we feel Yong Joon-ssi’s love. (mam-san)

Clearing One’s Throat
You want to know about Yong Joon-san’s habit that I’ve been hooked on from way back? Well, it’s the way he “clears his throat” when he’s acting. Take the kiss scene after they made the snowmen in WS. The feeling of newness is so cute! I think he “clears his throat” in Untold Scandal and other projects…This isn’t a habit, is it? (misyu-san)

In Untold Scandal the “clearing of the throat” is a form of non-verbal communication for Koreans. The “clearing of the throat” is used to announce your presence to a person of a higher social standing than oneself, to caution someone, to show dignity, and to show express displeasure. It is often used in period dramas but also in modern dramas by noted characters.

Putting that aside, he will also clear his throat in interviews. I feel it’s because phlegm sticks in his throat, or his voice doesn’t come out (please stop smoking). It’s also an action that nervous people often engage in. (hokuro-san)

Character
He is precise, calm, meticulous, and deeply considerate and while being super grown-up, there are times where the natural character of BYJ shocks and thrills us as we watch him, causing reactions of, “what?”, “huh?” “was he that fearless?” He is able to merge these two natures, which saddens me because sometimes this makes him feel like someone unattainable and then sometimes, it feels like he’s saying, “I’m here right next to you!” but because this is the way he is, we can’t take our eyes off of him and we will continue to watch over him. (hihiro-san)

In his message to fans when he was undergoing the body sculpting training, and talking while wearing that tight tank top, I saw him fold the towel neatly, corner to corner, and wondered, maybe he also always folds his own laundry in this same neat way? or so I imagined (I’d like to fold his laundry for him! But my way of folding is definitely sloppy). (hanayon-san)

Yong Joon-san’s character is, of course, a perfectionist, but I see him as a “fanatic”. Recently, the TWSSG staff bought the chain of wisdom puzzles which he kept at, and lost sleep over until he solved the puzzle … In the Hotelier special features, he got excited and challenged Kim Seung Woo. . I see that he does not leave things unfinished or give up. On top of that he’s competitive. (lilly-san)

In AS, when he is playing go-stop with Seo-Young, he seemed awfully enthusiastic, and I thought he wasn’t In-Su but was more his “true self-like”. When he plays games, whether he’s playing against a child or woman, I don’t think he’ll give them a break. (mani-san)

Feminine
Sometimes, he will move his body like a girl. He will put both hands together, bring his hand to his mouth, shrug his shoulders, and at times, sway as if twirling his upper body. Then in interviews and in the making of DVD’s, he speaks in his natural tone of voice which is sweet and nasally. I have not seen this girlish, gender neutral character in any drama. (hokuro-san)



Yong Joon-san will cover his mouth with his hand and laugh when he is embarrassed or stumped. This is a typical gay gesture, isn’t it? Other times he will pout, sometimes implore, or throw you those melting gazes. I’m embarrassed to say this in front of a strapping 34-year old man, but I love the gayish, gender neutral, boyish Yong Joon (definitely!!!) He himself has told the Chinese press that he does not want to appear in a homosexual movie but please grant my wish! (shiroi bineko-san)

Just when I think he will act feminine, he will act really masculine in a bold move. I always want to stick my nose into his business and ask, “wWy do you do this?” (laughs) (soucho no tsuki-san)

Good Reaction!
I was deeply moved by his response on the Dokdo Islands issue. His reply, “Rather than expressing words that divide countries, I would like to express words that unite the hearts of the people of Asia,” were the remarkable words you couldn’t imagine could come from one actor. I am constantly amazed at his proficient use of language! (ren-san)

You remember the fan accident at the hotel, and he was told, “If you do not listen to the Japanese police then, there will be terrible consequences,” he curled up the sides of his mouth and said, “What did I come to Japan for?”

When I see him in such situations, he opposes authority, is gentle without limits toward the weak, and I thought he is a true hero-type? Even if he is asked a rude question during an interview, he will deal with it in a charming way. At the press conference for The Image in Korea, he was asked the question, “How much will you stand to earn from the sales of this photo album?” and he is said to have answered, “Childish!” He doesn’t just appear smilingly, because when the need arises, the way he speaks up explicitly is wonderful! (an-san)



In a magazine interview article two years ago, he gave his eternal movie hero as Robert DeNiro for teaching him about Taxi Driver. When I read how he expressed this, I thought what a passionate person! I think that Yong Joon-san is really skillful at using language. (egao-san)

His Brother (President Sohn)


When Yong Joon-san appeared on Tetsuko no Heya, he looked really cheerful. That may have been due to Tetsuko-san’s personality also, but I think that he may have felt reassured with President Sohn by his side.

This was his first talk show appearance, and he was nervous but because his trusted hyeong was at his side, I think he was able to enjoy his conversation with Tetsuko-san.

During the filming when they were eating the birthday cake, he was concerned that the staff was not eating and said to President Sohn, “Why isn’t everyone eating?” to which President Sohn said, “It’s because you’re being filmed. Maybe if you urged everyone to eat.”

The rapport between the two of them at this time was very good. You could see that they trusted each other implicitly. You could feel the bond they shared. President Sohn is Yong Joon-san’s emotional support and that YJ is able to smile thanks to President Sohn. (yumiyumi-san)

My BYJ
In FL, episode 64, after Chan Woo turns in the paperwork to submit the bid, he drives his car and parks it in the garage. He uses only his left hand to turn the steering wheel and his large hand and long fingers all come together to cover the steering wheel.

I actually saw a scene that closely resembled that one. Yong Joon came out of the beauty salon shyly, but he was in good spirits, and smiling, and got into his Porsche. He started up the motor, and rolled down the tinted window halfway, to reveal in the space, his one hand (right hand) with its five fingers about to turn the steering wheel! The hand movement he added was beautiful. As we exchanged parting glances, Yong Joon disappeared into Seoul’s bustling traffic. This parting image of YJ was more dramatic than any drama…it happened April 3-5. (shiroi bineko-san)

When I was at the hand printing ceremony in Seoul, I was watching from the seventh row from the front. Yong Joon-san was the only one who was bowing deeply to the audience as he entered. It was such a beautiful bow, enough to bring sighs from the audience. Then when he got to his seat, he slowly looked out over the audience…he was probably looking at each and every person. He would nod while the translation was being done. Yong Joon-san would always say, “I want to see everyone’s eyes.” I think that he really sees everyone’s eyes. The meticulous Yong Joon-san seemed to be concerned from the onset, about the base of the handprint, and was looking at it intently. After they finished the handprint, and while the others were talking, he looked at the handprints intently, fixed the shape with his hand, and blew his breath on it to dry; to do some minor alteration work. I don’t think any of the TV stations showed these images. Ah, I thought how cute he was while watching him. Seeing Yong Joon-san’s meticulousness right before my eyes was somehow endearing… (ruri-san)



The other day, my daughter and I were talking, My brain quickly went to the question, We’re happy just looking at him. It’s really amazing. We were talking like this when my daughter said, “Why is that we never tire of seeing babies?”“Why is that we never tire of seeing Yong Joon-san?”“A baby is born with a purpose and a will for its existence, so it can’t lose sight of that goal. As a baby matures into adulthood, it slowly forgets one’s original purpose, even though that purpose definitely exists within oneself, and unconsciously, one perceives and starts to recover the pureness and strength that is found in a baby, which is perhaps why you never tire of looking at babies.”

Surely, because we each have also perceived Yong Joon-san as the starting point to living, we cannot take our eyes off of him. Yong Joon-san is a person forever possessing all the attraction of an infant. (moco-san)

Strange Habits?
The way he sits in a chair, he will place his hips softly down, and then almost sidle up to, or seat himself diagonally, but it’s a unique way of sitting. It’s a somewhat sad way of sitting. I love that little bit timid way of sitting. (ma-ya-san)

When Yong Joon holds a book to read, he holds it towards the top. I also tried copying him by holding a book at the top, but it’s tiring on the arms. (kurigo-san)



As Sohn-san said, when you are nervous, take a tissue and crumple it in your hand…during the Saitama Arena rehearsal, he certainly had a tissue grasped in his hand! Since he seems to sweat profusely, the tissues may have all worn out (laughs) (kikichann-san)

Lately, we don’t see his habit where he turns his pinky ring round and round during interviews. (Yumiyumi-san)

When he speaks his lines, sometimes his nostrils flare. It looks cute but for a handsome star, this might be a defect… (hokuro-san)

Once he takes on a role, it is difficult for him to shed the role, which I feel is a “habit” twice that of a normal person. Other actors are able to make the transition as soon as filming ends, and about the time the movie opens, they are in the midst of another project, while I feel that Yong Joon-san is still dragging along the film character.

Instead of forever wishing he would remain the hero of that drama…and giving into the viewers’ warm and fuzzy thoughts, if he is going to be stuck in a role to the very end, and completely absorbed by a role, then this is a habit that I don’t want to be corrected. (rushi-san)