edeline j.

KUCHING: More than 2,000 fans thronged Kuching International Airport to watch Korean teenage guitarist Sungha Jung play at the launch of Borneo to the World Rainforest kiosk yesterday (23rd June 2012). Fans were screaming, cheering and calling out the name of the 16-year-old as he walked to the stage. Airport employees said they started to gather at the premises from 7am to get vantage points for a better view.

As he walked off the stage after his performance, fans ran after him as he was escorted to a meeting room to meet the press. Camera lights flashed and fans packed the area, waiting for him to come out. When he walked out, security guards and his body guards had a hard time controlling the crowd scrambling to get close to the teenage sensation. There was chaos outside the airport from screaming fans while Sungha Jung waited for his transport.

A security officer was heard saying: “The situation would have been under control if they had made sure the transport was on standby before he came out.” The South Korean acoustic guitarist rose to fame on YouTube and other sites. As of this year, his channel had over 17 million viewers, while his videos had over 454 million viewers and over 726,000 subscribers.

According to Borneo to the World Rainforest’s marketing team leader Helen Chung, the guitarist was making the guest appearance to bring awareness on the conservation of rainforests. “Since he is a teenager, it is easier for him to reach out to the younger people to spread the message of conserving our rainforests,” she said. Sungha Jung will be performing again at the airport at 10am today (24th June 2012).

Borneo to the World Rainforest is a Sarawakian company producing handmade soaps from sustainable natural ingredients sourced from the rainforests of Asia.

The public can purchase at the kiosk soaps made from local ingredients from Dabai Sarawak, Bario rice and Mukah sago flavours to Sarawak pepper.