TWICE Nayeon's First Pitch: A Heartwarming Fan Encounter

TWICE's Nayeon recently served as a ceremonial first pitcher in Korea, generating significant buzz not just for her appearance but for a heartwarming fan interaction. The event gained widespread attention due to a special meeting between Nayeon and Hanwha Eagles pitcher Wang Yen-cheng, an 11-year fan of TWICE. This encounter highlighted the deep connection between K-pop idols and their dedicated fanbase, creating a memorable moment beyond the baseball game itself.

On July 4th, Nayeon threw the first pitch for a game between LG and Hanwha at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. Hanwha's Taiwanese left-hander, Wang Yen-cheng, who joined KBO through the Asian Quarter system, revealed himself to be a long-time ONCE. He went to a Seoul pop-up store to buy merchandise, prepared a video message, and practiced Korean phrases like "11-year ONCE" to meet Nayeon. With assistance from LG Twins players, the meeting took place in the waiting room where they took a selfie and Nayeon signed his goods, expressing surprise with "Really? What do I do?"

Bloggers emphasized the emotional impact of the meeting, noting Wang Yen-cheng's overwhelming joy as his legs gave out after the encounter. His gesture of bowing 90 degrees to the LG Twins logo, thanking the opposing team for facilitating the meeting, was also widely praised by local bloggers as a display of respect and genuine fan appreciation. The Hanwha Eagles' official channel video documenting this interaction quickly surpassed 230,000 views in 15 hours, underscoring the public's positive reception of this touching fan-idol story.