"Lotte is family." Even with a busy actor schedule preventing him from watching live broadcasts, he never misses the highlights! Why is Busan so passionate about the Giants? A local explains.

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Jung Woo (45) is well-known as a "true" Lotte Giants fan, born in Beomil-dong, Busan Metropolitan City.

He first gained attention in the Korean film industry with the 2009 film "Wind," set in Busan. Later, he starred in the drama "Reply 1994," becoming a star representing Busan with his portrayal of a male lead who effectively captured the Gyeongsangnam-do accent.

Recently, to promote "Jjanggu" (releasing April 22), the sequel to "Wind" which he directed himself, he also threw the ceremonial first pitch at the Lotte-Hanwha game. Wearing a Lotte limited-edition jumper borrowed from fellow entertainer and Busan city ambassador HaHa (47), and receiving a direct autograph from Jeon Jun-woo (40), his enthusiastic demeanor was that of a true Busan Lotte fan.

Before the ceremonial first pitch, Jung Woo met with reporters and recalled, "My parents ran a bookstore in Seomyeon for a long time. I was born in Beomil-dong, and I have many memories of eating tteokbokki and going to karaoke after school in Seomyeon." He then burst out laughing, saying, "HaHa is a 'Jjabei' (fake Busan dialect) person from Busan, and comedian Yang Sang-guk is from Gimhae. I am the real Busan person."

While receiving pitching guidance from Choi Jun-yong, he also communicated with Lotte fans. Jung Woo said, "I practiced the pitch almost together with the audience. But Busan fans, especially Lotte fans, feel like family, which was nice. My own family also loves baseball, and since I am a Lotte fan, everyone around me is a Lotte fan. So, people around me rarely talk about anything other than Lotte." He expressed pride as a native of Busan.

Despite being so loved, Lotte's performance has not been good. Since its founding in 1982, they have never finished first in the regular season, winning the Korean Series only twice, in 1984 and 1992. Even in their last championship year, 1992, Jung Woo was only 12 years old, in elementary school (then called national elementary school).

Nevertheless, Jung Woo's feelings have not changed like those of ordinary Busan Lotte fans. Even if he cannot watch live broadcasts due to his busy actor schedule, he always watches highlight videos. Jung Woo stated firmly, "Even if I can't watch live, I make sure to catch up on YouTube or anywhere else. I try to watch live whenever possible, but even if I can't, the content these days is so good."

What was the charm of the Giants that drives Busan fans crazy? Jung Woo explained, "Actually, Lotte feels like family. Moreover, I think more than half of baseball fans are Lotte fans. There is a thrill in the feeling that the game seems to be going poorly, but they ultimately manage to win."

He continued, "Actually, I like baseball games themselves, so I don't dislike any team. I like all of them. It is good to see any team playing fairly and healthily. The most important thing is that no one gets injured." He added this as a reminder.

This year, Lotte also started poorly. As of the end of the game on the 23rd, they were in 9th place in the league with 7 wins and 14 losses. Despite Jung Woo's cautious wish for no jinx before the pitch, only shouting "fighting," the Lotte-Hanwha game on the 19th, which he threw the first pitch for, ended in a 1-9 loss for Lotte.

However, like any other Lotte fan, Jung Woo also dreams of the day the Giants will reach the top. Jung Woo said, "I would be really happy when the day comes that we win. But I don't want to put pressure on the players. I think winning is something that comes from heaven. Since everything has its time, I believe there will be a day when we can smile and celebrate." He cheered enthusiastically.

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*This content was translated by AI.