A certified Doosan kid in her younger years, baseball fan and LE SSERAFIM member HONG EUNCHAE has become the Doosan Bears’ official good luck charm. Whenever she’s able to make it to a game, she can will the team to victory, and cheering from the stands reminds her of how FEARNOT feels watching her perform. Read on to hear more about how earnest HONG EUNCHAE is regardless of whether she’s the one doing the cheering or being cheered on.
You talked about how your brother teased you for being bad at throwing autographed balls at the Tokyo Dome concert, and how that led to you really practicing your throw the next day.
Your brother was in fact an amateur baseball player, right?
Right. I guess I just have this thing where I need to be perfect even at stuff that’s not really my area. The night before that first pitch, I went home and practiced with my brother with a beanie ball. He usually acts as the catcher for me.
He does give me tips, but he also tells me I’m genuinely terrible. (laughs) He was like, “You can’t let your body move like that. Look at yourself.” Then out of nowhere he took out his phone and filmed me in slow motion to show me.
I didn’t think he’d actually go that far. (laughs)
You’ve famously been a baseball fan ever since you were young.
A big part of that came from my family. Whenever we sat down for dinner, baseball was always playing on the TV, but I wasn’t actually really into it back then. (laughs)
I was at that age where I was way more into variety shows and cartoons. But I guess just being in that environment, it naturally had a big influence on me without even realizing it.
When I threw that first pitch, I chose the number 10 for my jersey because of my birthday, but I originally wanted to use the number my brother used to wear. I can’t quite remember what it was, but I don’t think it was 10. (laughs)
You started out as a Doosan kid, and now you’re their official good luck charm, owing to the fact that they win every time you throw the first pitch.
I saw the comment that BEARS TV [the team’s YouTube channel] left on our video congratulating them. And I loved seeing how many fans wrote things like, “We need to have HONG EUNCHAE tied to the foul pole at all times.” (laughs)
They’ve been kind enough to keep inviting me back, and once they started doing well every time I went there, I started thinking, “Do I really have some kind of special powers?” (laughs)
Honestly, being a longtime Doosan Bears fan myself, I did feel the pressure—like, “What if they lose when I’m there?”
And maybe it’s because I always talk about how much I love baseball, but I felt like I really had to do a good job even though nobody said anything like that. Luckily I’m not really the superstitious type.
What did it feel like to get out there and throw the first pitch?
Seeing as I grew up watching baseball, I was a lot more familiar with players who’ve been around since back then, like Yang Eui Ji and Jung Soo Bin, but I was really struck to see how the newer players are around my age.
Seeing people my own age doing such amazing things in a completely different field from me really spurred me on and made me think, “Oh, I have to keep pushing myself.”
I tried a baseball simulator one time, and it’s honestly way scarier than you’d expect when the ball comes at you. Baseball players throw really, really fast, though. It’s absolutely incredible.
And when Kim Taek Yeon said that baseball is kind of like dancing in front of a crowd, it made me appreciate the players even more. And then I had a nice, positive thought—“Oh, I guess I’m pretty amazing too, then.” (laughs)
You’re so passionate about baseball that you go see games on your days off.
Baseball gives me a different kind of energy boost from what I get when I’m onstage.
It’s really fun, cheering and groaning there with your fellow fans. You get this feeling of being in it together. It’s a real source of energy for me. I love how you can share those highs and lows with everyone around you throughout the game.
When I went to Dodger Stadium in LA, it felt like I was there purely just to watch, and seeing Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Hyeseong Kim was like seeing celebrities.
Like I said at the time, if I ever get to throw the first pitch there, I bet I’ll feel so proud knowing how much I’ve grown by then. I think it’ll be one of those moments that stays with me forever like a photograph in my head.
Would you recommend watching baseball to [LE SSERAFIM’s fandom] FEARNOT?
Absolutely and entirely.
I usually catch the games live while moving between places for work, but more than just watching, I really recommend actually going to the games in person because that energy where everyone’s cheering together is great.
HUH YUNJIN came with me to a game last year and absolutely loved it. (laughs) If I remember correctly, she’d just finished up some work and was on her way back when she suddenly said she wanted to go watch, so off we went. We won that day too, so it was extra fun.
That might be why the others sometimes say they want to go too, when baseball season comes around. That’s just how exciting it is to be in the stadium and take in the whole atmosphere.
Is there anything you think FEARNOT should bring to a game?
Honestly, when I go to a game, I don’t really bring much, just my … voice? I bring my voice. (laughs)
Actually, I’ve seen FEARNOT talk about what to bring to concerts, and there’s actually a surprising number of little things you need to bring, come to think of it. Baseball’s pretty similar, I think.
Oh, a bag is a must. Those stadium seats are packed in tight, so you need something you can keep your stuff in.
And since you’re constantly getting up out of your seat, you’re going to want to wear comfortable pants no matter what. Also, since most stadiums are outdoors, just make sure to always bring a jacket.
Doosan Bears fans are famously big about food. Do you have anything to recommend as far as baseball food?
Fried chicken, hands down. But it has to be boneless. Easy to eat. (laughs)
Chicken’s good all throughout the year, and it goes perfectly with when you’re watching a game, so that’s my top pick. And, you know, eating while keeping your eyes on the game can get a little tricky, but fried chicken you can work your way through no problem all the way to the end of the game.
I had a hot dog when I saw the Dodgers, and that’s another great option that’s tasty and convenient.
Do you have a favorite baseball jersey or favorite merch?
I’ve had a team varsity jacket at home since I was little, so it just feels natural to me, and it’s practical, which I like.
I always wear a headband at games, just like people always wear them at theme parks.
There’s this “Doosan’s the best” banner, too, that I’ve had forever and that I like.
What do you think it is about baseball that makes it so uniquely appealing?
The fact that you never know how it’s going to turn out in the end always fills you with so much anticipation.
I tend to think that no one really knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. Life is something you’re always living without knowing how it’s going to turn out, but so far, the excitement of that outweighs the uncertainty for me.
I think baseball and life are sort of similar in that way. And in baseball, it’s not the easy wins that are the most fun, it’s those last-minute nail-biter comebacks that really get the dopamine flowing.
Which would make you angrier—one out, bases loaded, and the inning ends with a double play? Or, a pickoff with one out and a runner on third during a tie game?
For me, the double play.
Even the term itself kind of gets to me. Even when I was little and didn’t know anything about baseball, I always had this sense that a double play was the worst thing that could happen. (laughs)
And bases loaded is a pretty rare opportunity, so a double play in that situation is even more infuriating. The inning just ends and hurts the final score. That’s what makes it so much worse.
I hear you’ve really gotten into a baseball variety show too.
That’s right. I was on a plane and trying to sleep before we landed but couldn’t, so I was looking for something to watch, and there was this baseball show.
So I thought, “Oh, baseball? Let’s take a look.” And it was so engaging that I couldn’t believe something like that existed.
I was glued to the screen all the way until we landed, and I’ve been watching it ever since.
What did you take away from the show?
I found it admirable and really cool, seeing former pros starting over.
And the high school amateurs chasing their dreams and giving it everything they’ve got was amazing. Seeing people work that hard from when they’re young was therapeutic somehow. I thought they’re just incredible.
A lot of players use LE SSERAFIM songs as their walk-up music.
If you were a baseball player, what would you want your walk-up song to be?
Mine would be “FEARLESS.”
I always tell myself that onstage, I’m going to be confident and show people how strong I am,
and I’d want that same feeling as a baseball player stepping up to the plate or taking the mound—trust yourself, go in with confidence. That’s why I’d want to go with “FEARLESS.”
If you were a baseball player, what position do you think you’d play?
One thing I’ve come to feel from watching baseball is that there’s no such thing as an unimportant position, so it’s hard to pick just one, but if I had to, I’d say cleanup hitter.
It feels like that position always belongs to someone specific. There’s something cool about being the position everyone trusts and counts on.
And that’s the kind of person I want to be.
If you made LE SSERAFIM into a baseball team, what positions would they play?
I can’t even picture it. (laughs)
HUH YUNJIN would be an outfielder. She’s got long arms and she’s a good runner. (laughs)
For pitcher … Kkura? I feel like you have to be the smartest person on the field for that. You have to be able to throw well and do pickoffs. Kkura’s sharp and has a quick eye, so I think it’d suit her.
Zuha would be the batter. Arm strength is huge for a batter, and her arm muscles surprise me sometimes.
KIM CHAEWON … I just can’t picture her as a baseball player. (laughs) Cheerleader, maybe? I think cheerleaders are really important in baseball, too. They’re a nice refresher for people in between the action, and they bring a positive energy even when your team’s losing. That bubbly image really suits her. Or she could play catcher, since she’s the most steady, reliable person in the group.
It’s sort of like LE SSERAFIM is always there to play defense for you.
LE SSERAFIM’s my pride and joy, always.
It’s already reassuring having the five of us together, and I think we’ve achieved things as a group that I never could have alone.
They’re the single biggest part of my life and they make me shine brighter than I ever could on my own.
Does any memory from your time with LE SSERAFIM really stand out to you—sort of like an unbelievable comeback in baseball?
There’s been so many, but the one that comes to mind is performing solo at the 2023 MAMA AWARDS at the Tokyo Dome.
If I look back across my whole life, that feels like a real turning point. Taking the stage alone at this massive year-end show I’d only ever seen on TV was nerve-racking, but while I was up there, all the worrying and frustration and pushing through came rushing back to me.
The whole performance was about thinking I wasn’t special but then realizing I am, which made it extra memorable.
For “THE HOT HOUSE” pop-up store, you wrote a message on a baseball about how fun watching baseball is since you get to be a fan like everyone else.
As someone who knows what it means to cheer for someone wholeheartedly, is there anything you’d like to say to FEARNOT?
Thank you is never quite enough, but FEARNOT’s love is what keeps me strong on the inside. I truly believe that the whole reason I get to stand onstage is because of them.
Since I know what it’s like to be in the audience cheering for someone I love, I have a deep understanding of just how much bliss there is in rooting for someone with all your heart.
That’s exactly why I want FEARNOT to know that I’m putting in my all so I can give them even better performances with more energy—so that their happiness and that earnestness can last as long as possible.
Do you think you’re a baseball lover to stay?
Yes, because I get to come down from the stage and be right there with everyone cheering and having a great time.
It’s so fun and makes me so happy that I’m sure I’ll always love it.