Three days before the official start of the highly anticipated January Drama Festival, a grand party was held at the luxurious Luna Hall, a renowned venue in the heart of Seoul often used for high-profile industry events.
The exclusive gathering was hosted by one of the major broadcasting channels in South Korea, LJ ENM. It was ant to celebrate the upcoming releases and create noise for the drama lined up to premiere that month.
Every main cast and participant from the twelve dramas—actors, directors, writers, and producers—were invited to it.
Inside the venue, Luna Hall was nothing but breathtaking.
That night, it was transford into a glamorous celebration ground. It shimred under the soft glow of hundreds of warm lights all around.
At the center of the venue lies a grand stage frad by LED panels and velvet curtains to hide the backstage. It was decorated well with an arrangent of flowers. There were also two sets of microphones in the middle.
In front of the stage was dozens of elegantly dressed round tables, each covered with white and black tablecloths. The middle of the table was adorned with white orchids and flickering candles, setting the mood.
Matching cushioned chairs were spaced evenly around the tables.
The staff of the company moved around in a hurry. They made sure that everything was settled and in perfection while caras all around continued to be set up.
30 minutes left, and the ceremony was about to begin.
Waiting for everyone was the crowd who bought tickets to join the event. They were stationed at the back of the hall, sitting with light sticks in their hands.
LJ ENM opened tickets for the celebration of the new dramas. They wanted people to support everyone. It was also a way to gain publicity and profit from it.
Multiple cara stands and tripods were positioned around the periter, manned by professional crews and network staff. These weren't just for docuntation.
Instead, the entire event will be live broadcast on selected platforms, complete with a running comnt section filled with fans reacting in real-ti.
Just outside the main hall, a barricaded section held a crowd of waiting fans. So had gathered hours in advance, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite rising stars. There was also a red carpet and a photo stand on the side.
To add to the event, two popular idol group mbers had been asigned as the official hosts of the night. They brought with them not just charm and star power, but also a built-in fandom that helped boost the event's publicity.
The mont they walked outside the hall, cheers erupted from the fans.
"Welco to the 2025 January Drama Festival Preview Night!" one of them called out enthusiastically, waving her hand in the cara.
She was Jang Wongjin, a popular female mber from the idol group 'Five'. She debuted at a young age and had a good following in the industry. She also hosted a lot of events, so she was a good choice for tonight.
"Tonight, we celebrate twelve incredible stories, dozens of talented artists, and the passion that brings it all to life!" the other host, Kim Daniel uttered, as he smiled to the cara.
Kim Daniel was also an idol who had hosted a lot of events with Wongjin. Their chemistry as a host was undeniable.
The two of them waved to the fans all around. They patiently stood outside in their formal outfits despite the cold of winter.
They were waiting for people to arrive for the red carpet as the official program started.
The soft hum of excitent swelled the mont the first car rolled to a slow stop at the edge of the red carpet, just minutes after.
Security stepped forward, opening the door with careful precision, revealing who was the first person to arrive at the night.
A tall, young and unknown actor from the youth romance drama 'Even After Us' stepped out. He was wearing a fitted navy suit, styled neatly to match him. He smiled widely, though the nervousness on his eyes were showing.
His na wasn't widely known, but the people outside cheered all the sa as if it was ant to give so support to the young man.
"Let's give a warm welco to Park Hyunjae!" Wongjin announced from her post near the photo stand, her voice was bright and practiced.
They were given cue cards containing the pictures of the cast and their nas beforehand for them to be familiar with everyone.
Hyungjae gave a shy smile, bowing respectfully to the fans and caras as flashes of the cara shone under the early evening sky. He posed briefly in front of the photo wall that was decorated with the LJ ENM logo before making his way inside.
Monts later, another car pulled up.
This ti, it was a glossy black van. Three cast mbers from the family drama 'Our Circle' stepped out, laughing among themselves to reduce their nervousness.
Despite coming from a small agency, the actors were t with cheers and shouts. Everyone was equally supportive despite not knowing the nas of the actors arriving.
At the side, Kim Daniel leaned slightly toward his mic.
"It's heartwarming, isn't it? No matter the na, everyone's getting love tonight."
Wongjin grinned and nodded, her pouty lips showing.
"That's right, Daniel Oppa. This is what our January Drama Festival is all about. Celebrating and supporting our dear rookies who wanted to succeed in the acting industry."
A string of arrivals followed as the two hosts talked among themselves after introducing everyone. Each unknown appearance drew growing waves of excitent.
After a whole lineup of people, the next vehicle to pull in was a sleek, dark sedan.
Gasps rose from the back as soon as the figure stepped out of the car.
Finally, it was a known face.
It was Minjae.
Minjae was dressed in a deep charcoal double-breasted suit. It looked elegant and expensive as the fabric subtly shimred under the lights.
Minjae's hair was styled perfectly, loose strands falling just enough to fra his face. He wore no tie, just a black dress shirt with the top button casually undone.
"Wow…" Daniel muttered on the mic, forgetting he was live for a split second.
Wongjin recovered first, flashing a smile to the cara.
"Everyone, please welco The Star's Secret lead—Nam Minjae!"
Fans exploded. His na was chanted rhythmically as he gave a low, elegant bow before walking the carpet.
Almost everyone knows Minjae. The cheers were loud earlier, but it had beco drastically louder when Minjae showed up. Banners of his na rose at the corner from his personal fans.
'I didn't expect to see so fans,' Minjae silently thought to himself.
Minjae waved briefly at the cara and the people, but his posture remained calm and composed, his eyes subtly scanning the crowd.
People were speechless as they continued to watch Minjae. So had their mouth open, so had their eyes sparkling.
Each step that Minjae took looked confident and asured. He knew exactly what to do as if he were already used to red carpet events.
Caras followed his every step as he stopped at the photo wall. He gave a relaxed smile and waved at everyone. The caras continued to shoot, with bright flashes continue to flash everyone.
Yet despite the bright flashes, Minjae didn't even blink.
"Minjae looked effortlessly handso in his outfit," Daniel said against his mic that the crowd agreed on.
"I agree, Oppa. Minjae knows that he is the mont," Wongjin added, nodding in agreent.
A few minutes later, the atmosphere shifted again.
Another luxury vehicle pulled up, just following Minjae's.
The crowd already knew what was coming as they recognize the familiar vehicle. They have already seen it from nurous music awards.
The cheers doubled, almost deafening as the car door opened and Kwon Jihyun stepped out.
He wore a tailored winter white suit paired with a black turtleneck, silver accessories glead under the flashes. His signature idol smile appeared as soon as his foot touched the carpet, one hand raised in a playful wave.
He soaked up the spotlight like it was only ant for him.
Jihyun knew that he was popular and it was showing at the way he confidently moved. He greeted the fans and greeted the cara.
"And here cos the face everyone's been waiting for… Kwon Jihyun of Chasing Dream!" Wongjin's voice rose again, a genuine smile showing on her lips. She has known Jihyun since they t a few tis when promoting songs.
If Minjae's entrance already screams confidence, then Jihyun's was full-on star presence. He turned toward the crowd with practiced grace, throwing them a wink that sent fans into a frenzy.
So even scread his group's fanchant rhythmically.
Jihyun posed confidently at the photo wall before strolling toward the hall, waving all the way.
After Jihyun, more people continued to arrive.
Outside was filled with excitent, but it was different inside. Inside, the tension had started to build, not just in the fanbase but among the attendees.
While the arrivals of new actors continued, many eyes were already on the two most anticipated leads of the season.
The party hadn't even officially started yet, but the competition?
It was very much alive.
Reviews
All reviews (0)