Ju Ji Hoon: The Shining Star of his own JUNIVERSE

Ju Ji Hoon known for his iconic roles in the dramas Princess Hours, Kingdom, Jirisan, Light Shop Keeper, and The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, met his Filipino fans last August 2, 2025 through his Juniverse: Asia Fan Meeting in Manila.

Looking like he’s never aged from his Goong days (Hello, Prince Gian!) , he is indeed one of the OG Oppas of K-dramas.

The one-night only event was very intimate and heartfelt with Ji Hoon personally requesting to get closer to his fans through highly interactive stage activities. He earned another award that night from us: BEST IN FANSERVICE! Not only did he willingly went down the stage to meet us up close but some were even lucky to take a selfie, get a big warm hug and instant high touch with him. I can’t even count the many “sumakses moments“, as I watch on my seat with a wishful thinking saying “sana ako din!“

The event opened with Ji Hoon (dressed gorgeously in a black suit), serenading us with a Korean ballad, proving that he’s not just a good actor but a great singer too. The main program was divided into two parts, each giving loads of opportunities to interact with him.

In the Ju Tube segment, he shared that it was actually not his first time to visit the Philippines. When asked about his favorite food from our country, he recalled eating fried rice (most probably our very own sinangag), shaved ice dessert (halo-halo made it again on the list!) and fried pig trotters (an adventurous foodie can never miss crispy pata, of course!). Did I mention that he loves to cook too? Since his elementary days, he knows how to whip a recipe or two. Sam Oh, who hosted the event, was right. “We love a man that can cook!” Agree? Agree.

The night won’t be complete without a little tutorial on some Tagalog words.

“I noticed that most of you speak in English.” While he’s not entirely wrong, he was still game and confidently spoke a few common Tagalog phrases. Every “mahal kita” and “ang ganda mo” sends the crowd to an uproar of massive kilig feels. That night, I am pretty sure everyone felt more loved and more beautiful, thank you Ji Hoon oppa!

In the second segment called The Juniverse Awards, fans got the chance to choose and vote fun topics related to Ji Hoon. “When you see him upclose…..system error.” Everyone was in agreement that they will experience some sort of a real-time lag when given a chance to meet the actor. He did say that oftentimes, the first impression that he gets from people is that he is “too big (he is 6’2 btw!)” and “too dark“. For us he is simply this: TDH…Tall, Dark and (Super!) Handsome.

He did share some of his thoughts about his craft, acting. From enjoying black comedy as a genre and being open about doing a fantasy series when a good project comes in, you’ll know how much he loves his job and how he still wants to do better in the future. He’s one busy bee at the moment because he’s actually working on two dramas: one politically-themed and one webtoon-based.

The second part of the program was the highlight of it all. Changing into a cool, summer outfit perfect for our islang pantropiko weather, he surprised everyone by appearing from the side of the stage to go around the venue so he can get closer to us. The moment he walked infront of me…confeeermed…system error.

He engaged in some games with his fans and read a few special messages from them. As a way of expressing his thanks, he willingly invited those whose names were drawn on-stage to get a photo with him. He’s very accommodating and warm, like meeting an old friend (or should I say an old crush) you haven’t seen in years.

The two-hour event introduced a deeper Ju Ji Hoon to us, both as an actor and and as a person. With a touch of nostalgia, it felt like going back to the best years of our lives, an era we now call our youth. If you are a true K-drama fan, he is definitely a part of your growing up years.

He’s a star of his own. He shines so bright now but it seem that this light will continue to radiate even more. We hope to see you again in the Philippines next time. Thank you, Ji Hoon for welcoming us into your Juniverse.