JYJ’s Kim Jaejoong visited Thailand’s King in the role of a State Guest to wish his recovery.
Kim Jaejoong visited on March 23rd Siriraz Hospital located in Bangkok, Thailand to wish for the recovery of health for the nation’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He went through the prayer ceremony and prayed for the well-being of the nation’s King and People.
Kim Jaejoong’s visit to the hospital materialized through coincidences. He became aware of the news of the King being ill in bed because he saw the yellow bracelets the fans were wearing while he was visiting Thailand for the concert’s promotions and asked for their meaning. He volunteered to visit the King on the spot to the surprise of those around him. The yellow bracelet was a symbol created by the royal family for the unification of Thailand’s citizens. But recently, due to the illness of the King, it is understood as a prayer for his recovery.
Kim Jaejoong, when meeting the press after finishing the performance on the 3rd and asked about the fact of his visit to the hospital, answered: “As much as Thailand’s fans love us, I wanted to return (the amount of) that love by expressing my respect for the person who is loved and respected by the fans. I wasn’t able to see the King personally but I wish that he will recover in as few days as possible.”
Thailand is highlighting Jaejoong’s thoughtful actions as very unusual. Jaejoong, in heading to the hospital, wore a pink necktie to express his wish for the recovery and himself composed the prayer. As these facts are becoming known, the praise for Kim Jaejoong is rising up all over Thailand. This is because he acted not merely as a singer visiting for a concert but rather as a cultural envoy promoting the friendship of the two countries.
As the Korean Wave suddenly arose all over Asia, there have been many side effects. In not respecting the other’s cultures but rather concentrating on the unilateral export of the Korean Wave, there can be detected now sentiments of the anti-Korean Wave. Also, the arrogant acts of the stars who visited foreign countries were also pointed out. Because the crisis of Korean Wave has been brought up multiple times, the moving story of Kim Jaejoong from Thailand adds warmth.
According to an affiliate of Thailand’s Tourism, Jaejoong’s visit is understood as that of a State Guest. This is because even if one wishes to visit the hospital bed, the royal family’s permission is needed. The royal family also treated Jaejoong with utmost care. As one example, because Jaejoong had visited Thailand for a concert he had not prepared a suit. For him, Thailand’s royal family showed their sincerity by emptying an entire floor of the famous shopping center Siam Paragon for Jaejoong to choose an outfit. On the 2nd, royal family themselves visited the Concert and watched, and even expressed thanks for Jaejoong’s visit. Kim Jaejoong answered with care: “I’ve done no more than my duty.”
JYJ, of which Kim Jaejoong is a member, met with around 22,000 fans over the 2nd and the 3rd in Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena Concert Hall through their World Tour Concert in Bangkok. JYJ, with the Bangkok performance as the kickoff, will continue the heat of the Tour—Taipei, Taiwan on the 23rd; Beijing, China on May 7th, and Korea on June 11th and 12th.
It never ceases to astound us just how genuinely kind-hearted Jaejoong is… He is so beautiful, inside and out.
Source: Hankook Ilbo
Translation Credit: JYJ3
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