JAPAN: South Korean star actor meets Japanese fans to promote his latest television series

Record ID: 463665

  • Title: JAPAN: South Korean star actor meets Japanese fans to promote his latest television series
  • Date: 22nd July 2009
  • Summary: SONG SEONG-HEON, A SOUTH KOREAN ACTOR, ENTERING ONTO THE STAGE WAVING HIS HAND TO APPLAUDING FANS
  • Embargoed: 6th August 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA27R4SBCOFPFS60T4QLPJR93TK
  • Story Text: South Korean drama sensation, Song Seong-heon met thousands of Japanese female fans on Saturday (July 18) at a news conference.
    Song, one of the Korean pop stars finding fame across Asia, came to Japan to promote "East of Eden," a popular South Korean television series he starred last year. The subtitled version has been aired across Japan since last April and has been popular among Japanese women fans.
    Fans waited for hours during the steamy summer day to catch a glimpse of the star.
    "I'm back here with my new television series East of Eden. I hope you would enjoy watching it with great interest and love," said Song adding "Arigatou-gozaimasu," or "thank you", to cheer up the audience.
    Song said he tried to change his previous image as a Korean gentleman by taking on the new role of Lee Dong-chul, a reckless maverick in East of Eden.
    "You would see a different type of Song Seong-heon in my new series because I acted a tough guy which I haven't tried in my other works," said Song.
    Saori Kato, a housewife who had waited for six hours to see Song said she now wanted to satisfy her other senses.
    "I want to smell him," said Kato.
    Michiko Miyashita, a 60-year-old housewife, manifested her loyalty to Song, saying, "I've kept supporting him while he was in the military service for his country. I've been supporting him and no one else."
    Song, 34, who has started his acting career as a situation comedy performer, gained fame with the television drama, Autumn Story, in 2000. It also put him on the stage of international stars as the drama was exported to other countries riding the tide of so-called "Korean Wave", a syndrome of Korean pop culture sweeping the continent.
    East of Eden is a star-studded epic of two men whose fates are crossed from the very first day that they were born.
    The 25 billion won (about 20 million US dollars) blockbuster made the television comeback of Song after he completed his military duty for his country.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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