THE first thing you notice about Korean actor Seo Kang-joon are his eyes—they are brown and sparkling, as if he had just cried and some of the tears still linger.
He is unquestionably handsome, as most Korean actors are, with the requisite smooth and fair skin, rosy lips and beautiful brows. But it is his eyes that are Seo Kang-joon’s best features.
“Externally, my fans say it is my eyes but honesty is the best side of me,” said Seo Kang-joon through an interpreter during a press conference last week hosted by GMA Network, which becomes his “home” as the media giant begins airing his latest K-drama hit, Are You Human? this week after Love You Two on GMA’s prime-time programming block.
Clad in a summer suit and wearing white sneakers, Seo Kang-joon looked happy and rested during the press conference.
The 26-year-old actor was also in Manila for his The Last Charm fan meeting presented by CDM Entertainment and MaxPerience Entertainment in partnership with Fantagio Group.
In a Wikipedia entry, Are You Human? tells the story of “Oh Laura, a renowned scientist, who is forced to part with her young son, Nam Shin. To cope with her loss, over the years, she builds various AI robots modeled after him, naming them Nam Shin I, II and III. Decades later, after surviving an attempt on his life, Nam Shin slips into a coma. To protect his position as the heir to a chaebol, Laura sends Nam Shin III to take his place and fulfill his duties.
“Kang So-bong was a member of Nam Shin’s security detail until she was disgracefully dismissed. She becomes Nam Shin III’s bodyguard, determined to get to the bottom of his strange comments and behavior. However, she gets more than what she’d bargained for when she starts falling for him—and has to keep him safe from the very people bent on murdering Nam Shin.”
Because of his excellent portrayal as Nam Shin, Seo Kang-joon received the Excellence Actor Award at the 11th Korea Drama Awards and the Best Couple Award with his onscreen partner, Gong Seung-yeon, at the 32nd KBS Drama Awards.
“Nam Shin has many human aspects that we can all relate to,” said Seo Kang-joon, who was visiting the Philippines for the first time.
“Everyone’s so beautiful and friendly,” he said when asked about his first impression of Filipinos.
During his fan meeting, Seo Kang-joon was made to try three Filipino dishes. The first one was Ilocos empanada, a pastry with fillings, dipped in vinegar. He said he liked the empanada itself but found the vinegar too strongly flavored. The second dish was lechon or roasted pig with liver sauce. This one he liked a lot.
For dessert, Seo Kang-joon was served leche flan, which is like creme brulee, and he loved it. Leche flan was his favorite out of the three, said Seo Kang-joon, although lechon was a close second.
The night before, the actor had a meat dish that he enjoyed but whose name he couldn’t remember. He said he loves meat, pork in particular.
The next time he comes to the Philippines, he said he hopes to go to the beach, do some scuba diving, and enjoy the sun and the sea.
During his Manila fan meeting, Seo Kang-joon sang some songs and played games with his fans. One got lucky and had a 10-second hug with him while another lucky soul got into a staring contest with the actor. Another two got to partake of the sago gulaman drink that he made himself.
He also got to see a video created by his Filipino fans wherein they held signs that read “I love you always forever, near and far closer together,” a line from Donna Lewis’s “I Love You Always Forever.”
The 26-year-old actor is also known for his role as Baek In-ho, a handsome and talented pianist in the romantic comedy series Cheese in the Trap, which previously aired on GMA Network. Right now, Seo Kang-joon is working on Watcher, which will premiere on Korean channel OCN in July.
“After this, I will be coming back to Korea to film Watcher, which is a detective thriller. It is an honor to be working with respected artists,” said Seo Kang-joon. His costars include Han Suk-kyu, Kim Hyun-joo, Heo Sung-tae and Park Joo-hee.
Among Western stars, he likes Jake Gylenhaal and “the new Spider-Man” (Tom Holland).
As an actor, Seo Kang-joon is flattered when he is called an “international star.”
“That title humbles me and motivates me to do my very best.”
Seo Kang-joon made his drama debut on The Suspicious Housekeeper, which starred Choi Ji-woo, in 2013. He won as best new actor at the 7th Korea Drama Awards in 2014 for his role in Cunning Single Lady. He has also appeared on What Happens to My Family, The Good Doctor (which also aired on GMA), Cheese in the Trap, Entourage and The Third Charm.
“I hope you had a great time today and I hope to see you again. Be happy and I’ll be back, all right? Mahal kita,” said Seo Kang-joon to his fans at New Frontier Theater seconds before he left the stage.
Needless to say, Seo Kang-joon’s fans were thrilled and shrieked in delight.
Image credits: Gerard S. Ramos