‘Oldboy’ with Hello Kitty hairband: The lengths Korean stars go to please fans

In South Korea's fan culture of aegyo, which emphasizes stars appeasing fans with adorable and cutesy behaviors, even the legendary "Oldboy" star is not exempt. In fact, his wholehearted embrace of this playful interaction with fans is earning him even more respect.

As Choi Min-sik, globally acclaimed for his charismatic role in the 2003 film, attends audience meet-and-greet events held at local theaters as part of promotions for his latest film “Exhuma,” photos of the 62-year-old actor sporting girlish accessories gifted by fans have gone viral.

These include a Hello Kitty hairband, a tangerine-shaped hat, and a handmade pink scarf.

While fans have showered Choi with nicknames like "Kitty Min-sik” and "Mandarin Min-sik," a new hashtag has also emerged: "ha-kku,” which is an abbreviation of Korean phrase "decorating a grandpa."

Choi’s latest work, “Exhuma,” an occult thriller by Jang Jae-hyun, has been dominating the local box office, drawing over 8.4 million cumulative viewers as of March 14.

According to Scon, the film's promotion agency, Choi has attended every one of the recent 73 fan meet-and-greet events, interacting with audiences who sometimes offered him gifts like hairbands and asked him to wear them for photo opportunities.

"While the impact on box office numbers may be difficult to quantify, actors participate in these promotions as a way to show their appreciation for the audience," said a film industry insider.

However, he added, "There is also a potential for backlash if they decline (to be a good sport in these events)."

An example of this pressure is Park Seo-joon, known for his roles in "The Marvels" and the 2020 hit drama "Itaewon Class."

During a promotional event for the dystopian thriller "Concrete Utopia," in August last year, Park declined to wear a fox hairband offered by his co-star Park Bo-young, who wore a bunny hairband herself.

The video of Park's refusal went viral, and some fans criticized him for “not appearing fully committed” to promoting the film.

"It can't be that hard to wear a hairband, can it?" one commenter remarked at the time.

Park later explained that there was a reason why he declined it on his social media.

He said he uses a lot of hairspray because he sweats during events like that, and it is painful to wear the hair accessory on top of the fully sprayed hair.

"It might sound like an excuse," he said in his post. "But fans, you know I usually wear these things without hesitation."

This pressure was also evident in comments about Choi's Hello Kitty video, where one commenter wrote, "Even Choi Min-sik wears a Hello Kitty hairband and dances! Those arrogant young actors who refuse to do such things should take note!"