2PM performed at the 2009 Dream Concert and I’m sure you’ve all seen the fancams and pictures from the performance. Hottests were out in force, both before and after the concert, and I was lucky enough to meet them and leave my own message for Jaebum.
My friend and I arrived at the Seoul World Cup Stadium about an hour before the concert was scheduled to begin. We were surprised to see quite an empty plaza area in front of the main steps, but we soon realised that all the noise from the stadium was being generated by the fans already waiting inside.
We moved down to the ticket booths to pick up our tickets. After a little stress and a little luck, we walked away with two VIP tickets and decided to head to our seats. In front of the main entrance where people were being sanitized before being allowed in, there was a small table and some boards covered in post-its. Several fans were walking around and asking passersby to leave a message for Jaebum and we decided we would. Actually, my friend Crystal is a huge 2PM fan and like everyone else, is pretty upset about the current situation.
Initially, I wasn’t going to leave a message because I couldn’t really think of anything to say and also because everyone was staring at me. Being a male fan, who’s foreign, and also much taller than most others in Korea is not easy, but I decided that this was an opportunity that I shouldn’t pass on. After my friends had finished leaving their messages, I picked up a pen and wrote my message:
“Jaebom!
More members
More fun
=)”
You may not think it’s as heartfelt as some of the other messages, but as I said, it’s difficult being a male fan at these things and I was very aware of the Hottest reps gathering round and watching what I was writing. After I was done and before I could stick my message on the boards, one of the girls asked us in plain English if we would mind posing for a picture. We all agreed and they took a picture of the four of us.
With everything that is going on currently and the measures that the Hottests are taking to keep the issue alive, it was quite a strange feeling to be part of it and actually leave a message. I have no idea whether or not these messages will ever get to him, but I don’t think that’s important.
Once inside the stadium, it was evident that despite the supposed boycott, there was still a great deal of support for the boys. The fans were making themselves heard, and not just the 2PM fans, but almost every single fan club joined in the chanting during their performance. It was quite a spectacle to hear Jaebum’s name being chanted from every corner of the stadium. I hope very much that I have the opportunity to leave another message in the future.
