<figure id="attachment_451514" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451514" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fae46959"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/5aed6b11705bd7f770907268d6fdab22.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451514" class="wp-caption-text">Kwon Sang Woo smiles and waves after the fan meeting</figcaption></figure>
<h2> A &#8230;&#8230; shining smile with the windows fully open!</h2>
<p> It was mid-December in Tokyo, and the heat was swirling in a corner of Kasumigaseki that seemed to blow away the chill of the night.</p>
<p> One night in mid-December, a fan meeting for Kwon Sang Woo (49), an actor who has been at the forefront of the Hallyu boom since its dawn, was being held in Tokyo: &#8220;KWON SANG WOO 2025 Fanmeeting in JAPAN &#8216;Laughing Gate has You.'&#8221; In the early 2000s, the handsome actor, who was called the &#8220;Prince of Tears&#8221; for his excellent performances in the dramas &#8220;Stairway to Heaven&#8221; and &#8220;Sad Love Song,&#8221; is now arafi. He is now arafifth, and his austerity and composure have increased, making him shine even more brightly.</p>
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<p> It was 8 p.m. after the event. About 50 fans had gathered around the service entrance at the back of the venue, despite the cold weather. The core of the crowd was made up of madams who had supported the Hallyu boom in the past and had spent many years together.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The event this time was really great because we were so close to each other,&#8221; she said.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I couldn&#8217;t make it last time, so I&#8217;m glad I got to see you today.</span></p>
<p> They were still excited, and were proud to show off the photos of their &#8220;guesses&#8221; that they had just taken at the event. There was also a group of women in their 40s and 50s who had probably traveled from the Kansai area, reminding us once again of his deep-rooted popularity throughout Japan.</p>
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<p> The moment when the star of the show finally appeared in front of these fans came. On his way home, Kwon Sang Woo opened the rear window of his shuttle car and smiled broadly at the assembled fans. He slowly waved his hand as if looking into the eyes of each fan who was exposed to the cold wind. The distance between them was only a few meters.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> &#8220;Crikey!　Mr. Sang Woo!</span></p>
<p> echoed through the nighttime office district. This is the kind of &#8220;divine response&#8221; that has captivated fans for years.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" This is what sets Sang Woo apart from other stars!"></div>
<h2>Why does he treat Japanese fans so well?</h2>
<p> Why does he treat his Japanese fans so specially? Korean columnist Aiko Kodama explains that there is a &#8220;special bond&#8221; between Kwon Sang Woo and his Japanese fans.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Of course, he has a long relationship with his fans as the original Hallyu star, but his feelings for his fans are different from those of K-pop idols who have become popular in the past few years. In fact, he had a bitter experience when he got married at the peak of his popularity, which led to a sharp decline in his Korean fans.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> At that time, it was the Japanese fans who continued to support Kwon Sang Woo. That is why, even when many Hallyu stars stopped coming to Japan around 2002 to focus on the huge market of China, he continued to come to Japan and cherish his Japanese fans.</span></p>
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<p> He was truly a manly man who never forgot his duty to his benefactor who supported him during his difficult times. It is because of this trusting relationship that the &#8220;window is fully open.</p>
<p> But the drama of the evening did not end here. As soon as the pickup truck drove off, several female fans who had been waiting for it made a quick move. They jumped into a rental car parked nearby and began furiously chasing after the car. It was a true &#8220;chasing&#8221; obsession.</p>
<p> The group was headed for the Akasaka area, lined with many Korean restaurants. As soon as the door opened and Kwon Sang Woo, wearing a long beige coat, got out of the car, a female fan of the rental car group, who had been following him with great persistence from the previous venue, got out of the car and tried to run to him. A staff member immediately stopped him and said, &#8220;Get back! He lightly bailed out with a smile, as if to say, &#8220;Sorry,&#8221; and was sucked into the store.</p>
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<p> The vitality of the chase in a rented car is astonishing in today&#8217;s world of guesswork, but the aforementioned Mr. Kodama says, &#8220;This is the heat of the Hallyu boom.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Kodama says, &#8220;There have been fans in Korea who have been chasing after stars&#8217; cars since the heyday of the Korean boom. At that time, instead of renting a car, some fans would take a cab to follow the stars, and some even rented a room in the apartment where the stars lived. The fan base at that time was older and had more money to spare, so they were able to make such dynamic thrusts. Moreover, Kwon Sang Woo is really kind, so if you could get close to him, he would wave to you or at least shake your hand. I think it is this kind of meticulous fan service that has captured the hearts of the fans and generated even more enthusiasm.</span></p>
<p> About two hours later, we were back at the restaurant. When Kwon Sang Woo reappeared after enjoying his exquisite grilled meat and a brief rest in the restaurant, the waiting fans rushed to him. However, when the staff called out to him, the fans did not go any further.</p>
<p> The kindness of his loyal fans, the overwhelming star power that even caused a chase drama&#8230;. The many expressions Kwon Sang Woo showed during his visit to Japan spoke more eloquently than anything else about the fact that he is an ongoing top actor.</p>
<figure id="attachment_451516" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451516" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="813a6c99"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/010c2f3803bf6a7ed63088fd1ffd47ef.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451516" class="wp-caption-text"> Enthusiastic madam fans waiting for him to come out.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_451515" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451515" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6c9b7d23"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/1dcfab30fd3616b724483b4f018e733e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451515" class="wp-caption-text"> Despite being a big star, he also opened the window for fan service</figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" [Image] Even after enjoying barbeque, he still has great style ......"></div>
<figure id="attachment_451519" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451519" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="317e8243"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/27974c956511c183f16dbc33f964c082.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451519" class="wp-caption-text">The group heading to a yakiniku restaurant in Tokyo</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_451518" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451518" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8bbe15f0"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/793df6eac23b67d9ae6cc02b4890e13f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451518" class="wp-caption-text"> Sang Woo wearing a gray top and bottom coat and a long brown coat</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_451517" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451517" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f4ab26d8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/0b8e1a86ef83f9c2e0fd3969268fafdd.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451517" class="wp-caption-text"> After about 2 hours, the group leaves the restaurant.</figcaption></figure>


 Shu Nishihara

 Actor Kwon Sang Woo, one of the pioneers of the Hallyu boom, came to Japan for a fan meeting. Witness his "divine response" toward his fans, who could be a nuisance if he makes a mistake!　But there was a reason why he cares so much about his Japanese fans.

A large number of madams went wild!　Kwon Sang Woo&#8217;s &#8220;God&#8217;s Help During His Visit to Japan&#8221; and the End of the &#8220;Car Rental Chase

A large number of madams went wild!　Kwon Sang Woo’s “God’s Help During His Visit to Japan” and the End of the “Car Rental Chase

Access Ranking

A large number of madams went wild! Kwon Sang Woo’s “God’s Help During His Visit to Japan” and the End of the “Car Rental Chase

Access Ranking

A large number of madams went wild!　Kwon Sang Woo’s “God’s Help During His Visit to Japan” and the End of the “Car Rental Chase