Heejun Han, 22, is quickly becoming the Jeremey Lin of ‘American Idol’.
“I want to show the world that Asians are not only good for getting high scores on their SATs,” he tells The Post. “They are also good at singing and entertaining. That is the stereotype I want to break from this opportunity.”
Q: So many people are talking about you right now. You are like the Jeremy Lin of ‘American Idol.’
Or maybe Jeremy Lin is the Heejun Han of the NBA. (laughs)
Q: What would you like the world to know about you?
I want to show the world that Asians are not only good for getting high scores on their SATs. They are also good at singing and entertaining. That is the stereotype I want to break from this opportunity.
Q: We haven’t had an Asian Idol, have we?
There are a couple. But they are all ugly. I am good looking.
Q: Do you have a problem walking down the street? Do women throw themselves at you?
I throw myself at them, actually.
Q: Is there a love connection with Fox 5 reporter Julie Chang? She offered to buy you dinner if you made it to the next round of the contest.
Julie Chang loves me. I think it should be like that for every girl. But it is just Julie Chang for now.
Q: What about Jennifer Lopez. I know you have the hots for her?
There is an old saying in Korean that says ‘An old man cries three times: once you are born, once your mother dies, and once your father dies.’ But in my opinion, I cried when I was born, I will cry when my mom dies, and I cried when Jennifer Lopez hugged me and gave me a kiss.
Q: And you did cry! So real men can cry on TV?
Only a real man cries, I believe. I cried and I was proud.
Q: You were so overcome with emotion. What were you experiencing in that moment?
I thought it was just going to be a casual meeting with the judges, but it was nothing like that. It was such a spiritual moment. I didn’t know what I was doing. All I could do was just walk out there and call my mom and say that I made it.
Q: So your mom didn’t die? I misunderstood.
Oh no. She is still healthy and alive. She is a crazy, crazy woman. But she loves me so much. She is like the most supportive fan I have ever had in my life. I love her.
Q: You have a unique sense of humor. Did you get that from her?
I think so. I am pretty weird too. I think I am getting all the weirdness from her. Hopefully not from my dad. Because he is not that funny.
Q: You seem like a pretty serious guy. Is that an act?
No. I see myself as a very serious guy. But when it comes to singing… I have such a lack of experience. I have no confidence in me. I think that came out as just funny. I look at myself in the mirror and i will always tell myself “You are good looking. You are sexy. Be confident.
Q: You struggled with depression for a while, right?
I was pursuing my career in Korea for about two and a half years and it didn’t really work out at all. When I came here I was empty handed. That is when I had my depression.
Q: Did you come here by yourself?
I was born and raised in Korea until I was about 12. Then we all moved to New York when I was 12.
Q: Show business is tough. How long did you struggle with it for and what did you do to get better?
When I came back from Korea, which was about a year ago. I just didn’t want to do anything. I always wanted to stay home. I didn’t want to meet anyone. When i would wake up in the morning, I didn’t want to open my eyes. Then one of my cousins told me “there is a place you might want to go.” And I went there. It is the organization I work at now. It is called Milal. I went there once a week to help the kids and I fell in love with them instantly. From that point on, I went there every day. They taught me how to love people and how to embrace what I have and how not to give up regardless of what you have. They literally just pulled me out of my depression. So I was thinking what could I do for them? They are a non-profit organization and so short with money. We have been trying to get ourselves (exposure) on local TV, but that never works. So I was just flipping through the channels and it says number one TV show in America is American Idol. So that is when I tried out for the first time.
Q: If you win and make millions of dollars it all goes back to them?
Hopefully if I make some money, of course I will donate part of it. Not everything, because I have to live. But more than half. This is what I started for.
Q: So you went there to seek help for yourself by helping others?
First I went there because I just wanted to get out of my house. I thought I was the one helping them. But at the end of the day, they were the ones helping me. They literally taught me true love.
Q: Sounds like things are going really well for you now. What else is going on in your life? What other talents do you have?
What I do every morning, once I wake up, I read the Bible and I pray for 30 minutes. Then I do my schedule with production. Once that is done, I pray again before I go to sleep. I keep telling myself that I am not a star. I am not a celebrity. I am no one. I am just a guy going after God’s own heart. And there are people that I need to help. I don’t deserve this spot, but God gave it to me, so I have to be really humble at this moment.
Q: Is there room in your life for a girlfriend?
I have a girlfriend. She is awesome. Very supportive. But she doesn’t like to be on TV or in the news, so I never really brought her up.
Q: How does she deal with your hotness?
Well the only people who really think I am hot are my mom, my girfriend and my self.
Q: What does she do?
She is a student in Maryland.
Q: How long have you been together?
A little over half a year.
Q: You are going to make people forget about William Hung!
William Hung was like 9 years ago. What is he doing now?
Q: He works for the Los Angeles County Sherriff.
No way! ‘Cause he needs some help. He is always welcome in our organization. We welcome everyone.