It was the moment that made everything worthwhile — that seven-hour wait in the rain, those frantic trips down to Steveston, those hours of tracking shooting details online.
It was the moment the movie star of her dreams walked up to her, and other fans eager to catch a glimpse, and waved and said hello to them.
“When he came out and stood in front of me and other fans, I was like ‘Oh my God, I’m going to die. He’s right here,” recalled Pamela Bagtas.
“He,” of course, is the Korean megastar Lee Min-ho, who was in Richmond last month filming Pachinko, an international drama series based on the adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s novel of the same name.
When Pamela Bagtas got word Lee would be coming to B.C. to film the Apple TV series, she was on a mission to see in person the celebrity she had been a fan of since 2013, when he starred in the drama The Heirs, and even snap a few photos.
“The longest time I waited was seven hours with several other fans and we eventually, and luckily, got to see (Lee Min-ho) and was super excited,” said Bagtas, adding that she would visit the Steveston film set every chance she could.
“The first day, as far as I could remember, I waited about an hour or two and managed to see him up close as he entered the set since not many people were there.”
According to Bagtas, when word got out that the Korean actor was in Steveston, the Richmond RCMP was called to the film site as it got “rowdy” with a sudden increase of fans.
When asked if she was worried about physical distancing requirements during COVID-19, she said she wasn’t worried because she was vaccinated and being a healthcare worker she knew how to keep her distance from others.
“It’s crazy and amazing at the same time how an international star could bring so many people together, but when the RCMP showed up, everyone knew to stay put and not cross the line,” said Bagtas.
“Most fans will follow the rules because we don’t want to get kicked out. We just want to see (Lee Min-ho), take pictures and that’s it.”
Members of Lee’s fan club, known as Minoz, were constantly updating fans, reporting sighting of the Korean actor since he arrived in Vancouver on Feb. 25.
Bagtas said Minoz members encourage each other and share information about where they’ve spotted Lee or the next filming location.
The filming of Pachinko in B.C. wrapped up on April 11 around 2:30 a.m., according to Bagtas who waited in the cold to say a final goodbye to Lee and Pachinko’s cast members on their last day.
That was the moment Lee suddenly walked up to his fans to say goodbye to them — a moment Bagtas says she will never forget.
“I hope more Korean celebrities come because with all this racism and hate crime going on against Asians, I want others to know that Asians are talented as well.”
