HIRED a special Korean tutor before the press conference for Lee Min Ho last Thursday in order to properly greet him and ask him a question or two in Korean -- only to be told by emcee Sam Oh that the questions had been “pre-screened” and that the media would not be allowed a group interview.
But the disappointment dissipated when Min Ho arrived. He was about an hour late but he was well worth the wait.
Dressed in a blue cardigan over a crisp white shirt, skinny jeans and white sneakers, the 25-year-old Korean superstar was oozing with appeal and boyish charm. He has discarded his long mane last month after he wrapped up Faith, his latest koreanovela (Korean TV mini-series) where he played an elite warrior in 1300s Korea, but the bob cut suits him just as well.
He was generous with his smile, greeted the press “Hello... Mabuhay!” upon arrival and he gamely answered the filtered questions thrown by Ms. Oh which ranged from his fashion preference to what he thinks of the surprise international hit song/video “Gangnam Style.”
With over 30 commercial endorsements, 6.5 million Facebook fans, nearly a million Twitter followers, and over 200,000 friends in me2day (similar to Facebook, only in Korean), Min Ho is undoubtedly one of the hottest actors in the K-drama land. He began acting in 2003 but it was the iconic Gu Jun Pyo role in 2009 smash hit Boys Over Flowers that catapulted him into stardom. This was followed by the romantic comedy Personal Taste, the action-packed City Hunter, and the period drama, Faith.
During the press conference, Min Ho said that it’s starting to get cold in Korea so he welcomes Manila’s “warmth” on his first visit.
Warmth in the form of over 10,000 screaming fans at the Araneta Coliseum was what he got the following day.
He said there is an inexplicable universal factor that makes fans relate to the Korean culture and he’s only too glad to be among its ambassadors.
When asked about the overnight sensation Psy, Min Ho quipped: “If I say I didn’t dance to the ‘Gangnam Style,’ I’d be lying.” When cajoled by the press for a sample, he quickly added: “I can show you another time.”
At a little over 6’1”, he’s literally a walking mannequin who is partial to dark, fitting but comfortable clothes. Much like his City Hunter character, Lee Yoon Sung, he prefers the preppy, polished look. While he is not very particular about shopping for clothes and does not think twice about his purchases, he is very finicky with his hair. He revealed that there was a time he washed his hair three times to please a girl. Nowadays, keeping his hair in shape is a breeze as always has a hairstylist in tow.
He said it did not take much convincing to accept the offer to model for Bench, confident that the clothing brand fits his image as a celebrity and an actor. And the best thing about being a Bench endorser is that he gets to have his own huge billboards on some of Manila’s busiest highways.
SECOND ENCOUNTER
Dressed in a blue cardigan over a crisp white shirt, skinny jeans and white sneakers, the 25-year-old Korean superstar was oozing with appeal and boyish charm. He has discarded his long mane last month after he wrapped up Faith, his latest koreanovela (Korean TV mini-series) where he played an elite warrior in 1300s Korea, but the bob cut suits him just as well.
He was generous with his smile, greeted the press “Hello... Mabuhay!” upon arrival and he gamely answered the filtered questions thrown by Ms. Oh which ranged from his fashion preference to what he thinks of the surprise international hit song/video “Gangnam Style.”
With over 30 commercial endorsements, 6.5 million Facebook fans, nearly a million Twitter followers, and over 200,000 friends in me2day (similar to Facebook, only in Korean), Min Ho is undoubtedly one of the hottest actors in the K-drama land. He began acting in 2003 but it was the iconic Gu Jun Pyo role in 2009 smash hit Boys Over Flowers that catapulted him into stardom. This was followed by the romantic comedy Personal Taste, the action-packed City Hunter, and the period drama, Faith.
During the press conference, Min Ho said that it’s starting to get cold in Korea so he welcomes Manila’s “warmth” on his first visit.
Warmth in the form of over 10,000 screaming fans at the Araneta Coliseum was what he got the following day.
He said there is an inexplicable universal factor that makes fans relate to the Korean culture and he’s only too glad to be among its ambassadors.
When asked about the overnight sensation Psy, Min Ho quipped: “If I say I didn’t dance to the ‘Gangnam Style,’ I’d be lying.” When cajoled by the press for a sample, he quickly added: “I can show you another time.”
At a little over 6’1”, he’s literally a walking mannequin who is partial to dark, fitting but comfortable clothes. Much like his City Hunter character, Lee Yoon Sung, he prefers the preppy, polished look. While he is not very particular about shopping for clothes and does not think twice about his purchases, he is very finicky with his hair. He revealed that there was a time he washed his hair three times to please a girl. Nowadays, keeping his hair in shape is a breeze as always has a hairstylist in tow.
He said it did not take much convincing to accept the offer to model for Bench, confident that the clothing brand fits his image as a celebrity and an actor. And the best thing about being a Bench endorser is that he gets to have his own huge billboards on some of Manila’s busiest highways.
SECOND ENCOUNTER
It may sound over-the-top but fans from as far as Mindanao lined up as early as Thursday evening to get the opportunity to see Min Ho in person on Friday at Quezon City’s Araneta Coliseum.
The fun meet was short and sweet. The first part had Ms. Oh asking him 15 questions sent by fans through Twitter while the second half was spent interacting with select fans.
Unfortunately, Min Ho neither sang nor danced as expected by fans. He admitted he is not the most graceful dancer, as seen during his December 2011 fan meet in Beijing, where he danced (or more like marched) to “We Will Rock You.” At the Araneta, he was candid enough to say that many laughed at his feeble performance, and that it will take some time before he can muster the courage to dance in public again. His BOF anthem, “My Everything,” was also not part of the program.
He told his fans -- who consistently shrieked throughout the hour-long event -- that he is a simple guy who is basically a homebody but also loves to spend his free time watching movies, taking long walks, exercising, and playing soccer. To the delight of the eonnis and ahjummas (sisters and older ladies), he told them that the first thing he does upon waking up is to feed his now famous miniature pinscher, Choco. But his “I don’t mind having a Filipina girlfriend” was what brought the house down. His first impre ssion of Pinays is that they are warm, pa ssionate, and shy.
With only a little over four days in Manila, he may not have time to confirm whether it’s really “More Fun in the Philippines” but Min Ho said he would love to go to some of the great vacation spots, particularly Boracay, on his next visit.
On the suggestion of his fans, he said he will try the Filipino adobo. True enough, he posted a photo on Facebook after the event showing him having adobo with a bottle of San Miguel beer for dinner.
Min Ho said his last two television series -- City Hunter and Faith -- had him portray dark, heavy characters, so he looks forward to taking on a lighter role (probably similar to Personal Taste, where he was mistaken for a gay architect) in his next project. Be it a movie or another TV series, he said he will try to scout for another good vehicle that offers a challenging role.
CLOSE ENCOUNTER
As it turned out, the Korean lessons did not go to waste during my awaited encounter with Min Ho on Sunday at the Mall of Asia.
More than 2,000 people gathered at the Music Hall to see the actor in person but I was one of the 45 lucky ladies to have the opportunity to meet him up close, shake his hand, and receive a poster with him autograph on it.
After briefly addre ssing the huge crowd, the Hallyu star proceeded with the “meet and greet.”
He has the softest pair of hands and I nearly melted on stage when he looked straight at me and said: “Nice to meet you” after I introduced myself as “Byeonhosa Cecillessi.” A quick hug was impossible as his long-time bodyguard, Lee Kyu Hyeon, was standing right beside him.
With no signs of the Korean drama craze letting up, Min Ho will certainly not be the last K-drama star to visit Manila.
Now if only Bench could include Bae Yong Joon, Hyun Bin, or even Lee Seung Gi in its roster of star-endorsers.
More than 2,000 people gathered at the Music Hall to see the actor in person but I was one of the 45 lucky ladies to have the opportunity to meet him up close, shake his hand, and receive a poster with him autograph on it.
After briefly addre ssing the huge crowd, the Hallyu star proceeded with the “meet and greet.”
He has the softest pair of hands and I nearly melted on stage when he looked straight at me and said: “Nice to meet you” after I introduced myself as “Byeonhosa Cecillessi.” A quick hug was impossible as his long-time bodyguard, Lee Kyu Hyeon, was standing right beside him.
With no signs of the Korean drama craze letting up, Min Ho will certainly not be the last K-drama star to visit Manila.
Now if only Bench could include Bae Yong Joon, Hyun Bin, or even Lee Seung Gi in its roster of star-endorsers.
source: businessworldonline
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