[Sportschosun Jo Min-jeong] Jun Hyun-moo experienced unexpected popularity in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Local fans gathered around him shouting "Moo oppa," and he was even listed among the social media follows of a man who follows only six accounts, leaving Jun Hyun-moo himself stunned.
On the MBC variety show "I Live Alone," which aired on the afternoon of the 14th, Jun Hyun-moo was shown taking a spontaneous trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan, using a short one-night, two-day break.
That day, Jun Hyun-moo visited Green Bazaar, one of Almaty's best-known traditional markets. As he walked around the market looking at local ingredients and food, a woman suddenly approached him. When she recognized him, she greeted him in Korean, saying, "Hello, Moo oppa?" Jun Hyun-moo could not hide his surprise at meeting a local in the middle of unfamiliar Kazakhstan who even knew his nickname. The woman then shouted the English title of "I Live Alone" and cheered with excitement after meeting him in person. It turned out that "I Live Alone" had considerable recognition in Kazakhstan as well. Watching from the studio, Kian84 was amazed and said, "So our show was a Hallyu program." Jun Hyun-moo then struck a proud pose and made viewers laugh, saying, "No matter where I go, the MZ generation goes crazy."
The surprise did not end there. As he continued walking through the market, more locals kept recognizing him. Some called his name with awkward Korean pronunciation and expressed their delight, while others asked to take photos with him.
One male fan, in particular, left Jun Hyun-moo even more astonished. The man showed that he follows only six accounts on social media, and Jun Hyun-moo was one of them. Out of countless accounts, he had chosen just six to follow, and Jun Hyun-moo was among them. Touched by the appearance of such a devoted fan, Jun Hyun-moo took a photo of the screen himself. As more local men asked for pictures, he joked, "Why do Saudi Arabian men like me so much?" still baffled by his popularity. He then added, "Am I the type of actor they like? A tofu-faced man from Saudi Arabia?" drawing laughter with his playful remark.
Even Jun Hyun-moo, who hosts numerous entertainment programs in Korea, could not hide his amazement as local fans in Almaty kept appearing, recognizing both his name and nickname. In particular, meeting a local fan who included him among just six followed accounts made him fully realize the unexpected global popularity of "I Live Alone" and Jun Hyun-moo.
Jo Min-jeong mj.cho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
