Actor Ha Jiwon is drawing attention as she continues a special relationship with baseball, from redoing the "Home Run" stage to throwing the ceremonial first pitch and watching a Major League Baseball (MLB) game in person.
The beginning was the "Home Run" stage she stood on again after 23 years. Ha Jiwon recently appeared on MBC Show! Music Core and recreated the "Home Run" stage she sang for the 2003 film Living on the Edge OST after 23 years.
This stage started on the YouTube web variety show I'm Class of 26 Jiwon. Kian84 and Kangnam suggested, "You should do the 'Home Run' stage again," and Ha Jiwon pledged that she would perform the stage again if the video surpassed 1.2 million views.
After the views far exceeded the goal, Ha Jiwon said, "I made the decision, so I have to keep my promise. I'm the type to just do it and work hard to pull it off," and began practicing. Speed skating champion Lee Sang-hwa also cheered, saying, "'Home Run' is not an embarrassing past. Sister's dance lines are so pretty," and Ha Jiwon expressed determination, saying, "I have come to love 'Home Run.' I will show it on stage."
On stage Ha Jiwon wore a white crop top and balloon-fit pants and performed the full song. She drew reactions saying, "It feels like time stopped," showing not only a youthful beauty and a toned figure not much different from 23 years ago but also stable dance skills.
'Home Run' did not end there. Ha Jiwon, who said the song helped her overcome stage fright, later challenged herself to throw a ceremonial first pitch after 12 years through I'm Class of 26 Jiwon. In a survey commemorating 100,000 subscribers, pitching ranked first as the content fans most wanted to see, so she said, "This time I want to throw it properly," and began intensive pitching practice.
On the day of the ceremonial pitch, the production team prepared a surprise event that displayed a support video on a giant billboard in the middle of Gangnam, and Ha Jiwon, saying, "I feel like I'm going to cry," could not hide her emotion.
On the mound she wound up perfectly and threw the ball powerfully, but an unexpected incident caused laughter. A caption reading "It failed" was added to the screen, but people around her continued to cheer, "You did well," and Ha Jiwon kept a bright smile until the end.
Her interest in baseball extended beyond Korea to the United States. Ha Jiwon recently posted on her social media showing her attending a Major League game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Wearing a Washington Nationals cap with a striped tube top and white pants in a casual style, she caught attention with her characteristically youthful visual.
She has also been invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Boston Red Sox versus Baltimore Orioles game at Fenway Park in Boston, giving her another meaningful step. Especially as the first Korean actor to step onto the Fenway Park mound, Ha Jiwon is reported to have shared a special comment, saying, "I am honored and excited to throw the ceremonial first pitch at such a historic stadium."
The "Home Run" she took out again after 23 years led not only to a simple recall of memories but to a stage comeback, a challenge to throw the ceremonial first pitch, and a visit to the major leagues. Among fans the responses have continued: "'Home Run' was really the Divine Move," and "She has become a baseball goddess beyond a pitch fairy."
[photo] "SNS, YouTube"
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