Lee Jae-wook in Manila: 5 things we learned about the fast-rising Korean star

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 11) — Korean actor Lee Jae-wook of the hit fantasy series “Alchemy of Souls” held his first-ever fan meeting with Filipino supporters at the New Frontier Theater on Saturday.

Prior to the event in Manila, he attended a press conference where he said he’s “very grateful” for the love he has been receiving from the country.

The actor also shared a few things about himself, and we’ve listed them down for those eager to get to know more about the 24-year-old K-drama star.

1. He wants to visit Boracay.

Lee said he knows the Philippines is home to many vacation spots, including the world-famous Boracay.

While his tight schedule is likely to restrict him from visiting the island during his current trip, he said he looks forward to enjoying the iconic white sand beaches in the future, which he had seen featured in some Korean travel shows.

2. There’s one thing he always does before interviews.

The Hallyu star has an interesting habit before facing the media for scheduled interviews: to go out of his way to sweat.

He said he’s never really talked about it anywhere else, but he feels the need to perspire, whether by going for a run, hitting a spa, or taking a trip to the sauna.

3. Your K-pop playlist might not be that different from his.

Lee said at least three artists or groups have been on rotation in his playlist lately — and his answers are pretty relatable.

The actor bared he has been listening a lot to the girl group New Jeans, whose widely popular songs include “OMG,” “Ditto,” and “Hype Boy."

He added he enjoys tunes from Blackpink — the most streamed female group on Spotify — as well as from the recently released album of his “Alchemy of Souls” co-star Hwang Min-hyun.

4. An itch for new experiences drove him to try acting.

While he loves working, Lee said he found himself quickly getting tired of jobs he tried prior to entering the entertainment industry.

He thought of giving acting a shot, as he felt that portraying various characters would feel like doing something different each time.

After attending university to study the craft, he made his acting debut in late 2018 with a supporting role in the science fantasy drama “Memories of the Alhambra.”

He rose to popularity the following year after starring in the romance series "Search: WWW" and "Extraordinary You." Lee also went on to bag more main roles, becoming the leading man in “Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol,” as well as in “Alchemy of Souls” which now has two seasons.

Asked what kind of role he hopes to take on next, he said he would love to play “stronger” and “more complex” characters on screen.

5. He said he did not expect the love he’s receiving from Filipino fans.

Despite the success of “Alchemy of Souls” and other projects that showed his acting range, Lee said the amount of support he’s been getting from the Philippines was a surprise.

“It wasn’t something he expected at all,” said TV host Sam Oh, translating the Korean responses of the actor during the press conference.

“He’s so happy,” she added. “He’s a relatively new actor in the scene right now, and this scenario is something that he maybe imagined for himself — one day, hopefully, he will be in this kind of situation. And he finds himself there, so he’s so thankful to the fans who are making this a reality.”

Lee’s first fan meeting in the Philippines, which was organized by Wilbros Live, was part of his ongoing Asia tour.