On July 25, 2026, Kang Haneul successfully held his fifth fan meeting, “ALWAYS Season 3.”
Both Haneul and MC ORI mentioned that Haneul had spent a great deal of time redesigning the program. He wanted to create as many opportunities as possible to interact directly with fans, so he kept revising the schedule over and over until he was satisfied.
One of those interaction segments was “Haneul’s Advice Corner.”
It was filled with thoughtful, heartfelt answers, so I’d like to share what I remember.
(Recording was not allowed, so these are based on my memory.)
Questions from Fans
①How can I smile all the time like you?
②How can I learn to enjoy spicy food?
③Final consonants (batchim) are so difficult when learning Korean.
④I’m this cute, so why don’t I have a boyfriend?
⑤I have a boyfriend, but I still want to marry you. How can I make my boyfriend my number one?
⑦Should I pursue the job I love or choose an ordinary career?
⑧Do you have any travel memories? (Asked in English by a fan from Germany.)← Today’s Topic 💙
⑨I’m raising two sons. How can I raise them to become someone like you? What did your parents teach you?← Today’s Topic 💙
➉I came with my older sister, but we don’t get along. She stole my Kang Haneul hand fan!
The Answer Every Mother Wanted to Hear
This time, the question came from a mother who is raising two sons.
I am raising two sons.
How can I help them grow into wonderful men like you?
If there are any lessons or words from your parents, could you share them?
The moment she asked this question, the audience burst into applause 👏👏
It was a question that received overwhelming sympathy from the mothers in the venue.
부모님이 가장 많이 해주신 말은… ‘없다’예요.
There wasn’t any particular phrase my parents always told me.
There was no single “lesson.”
Haneul then explained what he meant.
제가 뭘 하든 간에 부모님은 저를 그냥 두셨어요.
Whatever I did, my parents just trusted me and let me be.
제가 뭘 하다가 싫증이 나서 그만두게 되어도
Even if I lost interest in something and decided to quit,
다른 하고 싶은 것을 찾게 되어도
Even if I found something else I wanted to do,
그냥 가만히 두셨어요.
They simply let me be.
그래서 아드님을 믿어주시면, 아드님도
So if you trust your son, he will also…
’아, 부모님이 나를 믿고 계시는구나’ 하고 느낄 거라고 생각해요.
feel “Ah, my parents believe in me.”
저보다 더 멋있어질 거예요. 하하하.
He will become even more wonderful than me. Hahaha.
And yes… becoming “more wonderful than Kang Haneul” is certainly a very high bar. 😂
But I’m sure the two sons of this fan, who asked the question that many parents probably wanted to ask, will grow into wonderful people as well.
Clementine’s Note 🍊
When I heard this question, the first thing that came to my mind was:
“차인표처럼 크거라”
(“Grow up like Cha In-pyo.”)
I wrote about this expression in another article here:
Haneul’s parents’ approach to raising their child has often been mentioned in interviews and programs.
Haneul has said that his parents always let him do what he wanted.
Behind that was their strong belief:
“If it doesn’t work out, he will find another path at that time.”
Their trust and generosity are truly impressive.
It feels like the ultimate example of “this is what Kang Haneul’s parents are like.”
Parents who trust their child.
And a child who accepts that trust and turns it into his own strength.
Of course, this sounds simple, but in reality, it is extremely difficult.
Do children respond because their parents believe in them?
Or can parents believe only after seeing their children move forward on their own?
It feels a little like the classic question:
“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
Either way, I think every parent can relate to the wish:
“I hope my son grows up like Haneul.” 💙
I almost want to tell Haneul’s mother’s words to every child:
“Grow up like Kang Haneul.”
An episode showing his parents’ trust
There are many beautiful stories about Haneul’s parents, but I would like to introduce just one.
This story comes from a clip from episode 122 of Ravi’s YouTube channel “Question Mark,” released on April 26, 2021, featuring Kang Haneul and Chun Woo-hee. (Video starts at 42:24. ）
In a conversation about letters, Haneul shared that he had written a passionate letter explaining why he wanted to attend an arts high school.
However, his parents did not even read the letter.
They simply replied:
“그냥 가.”（Just go.）
He even laughed at himself, saying, “Who was that letter even for…?”
How do you say “whatever you do” in Korean?
One expression that stood out when Haneul talked about his parents was:
제가 뭘 하든 간에 부모님은 저를 그냥 두셨어요.
Whatever I did, my parents simply watched over me.
The key expression is:
뭘 하든 간에
뭘 is a shortened form of 무엇을 (“what”).
-든 간에 means:
“regardless of,”
“no matter,”
“whether it is…”
For example:
어디에 가든 간에
Wherever you go
누구를 만나든 간에
Whoever you meet
In Haneul’s words, this expression carries a deeper meaning.
Whether he started something new, became interested in something else, or chose a different path…
His parents did not reject his choices.
They accepted them and trusted him.
Another phrase that stands out is:
그냥 두다
The expression 그냥 두다 literally means “to leave something as it is.”
However, in this context, it does not mean leaving someone on their own. It means trusting them, respecting their choices, and quietly watching over them.
For example:
아이가 스스로 할 수 있도록 그냥 뒀어요.
“I let my child try on their own and watched over them.”
하고 싶은 대로 그냥 두세요.
“Let them do what they want.”
In these examples, 그냥 두다 does not mean abandoning someone. Rather, it carries the nuance of respecting someone’s choices and allowing them to grow at their own pace.
This is exactly the meaning behind Haneul’s words about his parents.
Another expression that felt very relatable was:
싫증이 나서
싫증이 나서 그만두게 되어도 “Even if I got tired of it and quit.”
싫증나다 means:
“to lose interest,”
“to get tired of something.”
(While 싫다 simply means “to dislike.”)
Everyone has experienced starting something and then losing motivation.
Parents may naturally hope that their children will stick with what they started.
But even when Haneul lost interest and decided to stop, his parents chose not to pressure him.
Instead, they simply trusted him and let him be.
Perhaps knowing that “My parents will not reject me even if I change my mind” gave Haneul the confidence to think for himself and search for new paths.
Source of Haneul’s Words
Official title: KANG HA NEUL FAN MEETING in JAPAN 2026 “ALWAYS Season 3”
Date: Saturday, July 25, 2026
Venue: KT Zepp Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
