Zev Rattet, an American retiree who is a fan of Korean culture, on March 4 shows a photo of his favorite Korean singer and actor IU in an online interview with Korea.net. (Lee Kyoung Mi)

By Lee Kyoung Mi and Lee Jihae

A saying goes that if you truly wish for something, it will come true. An American retiree who is a diehard fan of Korean content thought he would never get the chance to see his favorite Hallyu (Korean Wave) celebrity but now has the chance to meet her in person.

In Korean, he would be called a seongdeok, or a "successful aficionado" of something or someone. This fan is Zev Rattet, who is widely known as "UAENA Grandpa," with UAENA referring to the official fan club of Korean singer and actor IU.

"Oh, my god, I can't believe that I am going to IU's concert," he said. "Even now, I get goosebumps and feel breathless when talking about it. It was one of the best moments of my life."

In a video interview with Korea.net on March 4, an ecstatic Rattet said IU's music and dramas as well as Korean food and culture "enriched" his life. His talk left no doubt as to how much he loves Korea.

A resident of the San Francisco Bay area in Northern California who retired in 2018 after 40 years as a programmer, he said he is deeply into Korean dramas -- watching 250 of them -- as they are honest and express emotions well. 

About a month ago, he started the YouTube channel Zev Does KDrama, which has videos of him discussing why he likes IU, watching K-pop music videos, or making or eating Korean food such as sundubu jiigae (spicy soft tofu stew) and gimbap (seaweed rice rolls).

One of his most popular videos shows Rattet asking how to join UAENA, and this is how IU learned of him. On Feb. 21, the celebrity posted on her Instagram that she wanted to invite him to her concert on July 30 in Oakland, California.

Hallyu celebrity IU (left) on Feb. 21 posted on her Instagram a photo of herself and Zev Rattet and wrote in English, "Your videos made me happy. I want to make you happy for a long time. I'd like to invite you to my concert in America." In response, Rattet posted a video of himself grabbing his chest in joy. (left: IU's Instagram / right: screen capture from Rattet's YouTube channel)

The video of Rattet receiving this news and saying "My heart is beating so fast" garnered more than 130,000 views and over 800 comments, with more than half of the latter written in Korean.

"They call me 'grandpa' and were all so kind. I was very moved. I used a translator and used this as an opportunity to learn more Korean words," he said.

Rattet also talked about a surprising experience at a dry cleaner run by ethnic Koreans a few days before the interview. As soon as he walked in, the owner told him, "You're famous! You're all over the (Korean) news!"

Rattet said, "Even now, I am still excited."

The last time Rattet purchased a concert ticket was about 35 years ago to watch the rock band Pink Floyd. Though he said he doesn't know how to purchase a ticket nowadays, IU's management agency sent him an email to tell him that it will take care of everything.

Saying his life has "drastically" changed since discovering Korean culture and IU, Rattet spoke with considerable excitement throughout the interview.

"I would like to tell everyone to watch Korean dramas," he said in wrapping up his story. "I want them to have interest in Korean culture. Becoming aware of Korean culture will make you happy."

km137426@korea.kr