One of the staffs from the KU Music Asian Music Awards had this to say about Kim Jong Kook:
As a staff assigned to assist (Entertainment Coordinator) Kim Jong Kook, I can honestly/responsibly say that Kim Jong Kook is an artist that does his job very well/professionally. After the opening (20 minutes or so), almost all the surrounding artists have left to go to the rest area, or some left in order to prepare to go up on stage.
Except Kim Jong Kook.
He sat there for at least 2 hours. He did not have anyone near him that he could talk to and even the host was from China. Even though Kim Jong Kook could not really understand Chinese, he listened intently and applauded for the winning artists. Furthermore, he did not show any sense of unrest/annoyance during this time, which made the staff feel hurt/sorry for Kim Jong Kook. In the end, the manager went over to persuade him to leave for a long time; however, he insisted on watching all the performances before returning to the rest area. Other artists require people to rush/remind them when it is their turn, but Kim Jong Kook was already making preparations before any reminders. In addition, he also took the time to rinse his mouth in the washroom every time before entering the venue. Again, I saw the good virtue of this man. Not warm, not fiery... just like how he has walked into my heart.