Jang Ki Yong melts Pinoy hearts at first fan meeting in Manila
With his good looks, towering physique, and overwhelming charm, Korean star Jang Ki Yong made hearts flutter at his debut event in the Philippines.
The 27-year-old actor and model, who stands 6.1 ft, held his “2019 Jang Ki Yong 1st Fan Meeting: Filmography in Manila” at Samsung Hall at SM Aura in Taguig that drew not only Pinoy fans but those from other countries as well.
From the moment he stepped on stage and sang “Beautiful,” the original soundtrack by Crush for the hit Korean drama “Goblin,” Jang Ki Yong had audience in the palm of his hand.
“I’m very happy that I can meet fans in Manila,” said Jang Ki Yong, who started his career as a model in 2012 and branched out into acting with “It’s Okay, That’s Love” as his debut drama project in 2014.
He revealed that this was his second time to visit the country following his vacation in the Philippines four years ago. Jang Ki Yong arrived in Manila two days before the fan meet and being a person who likes to eat, he Filipino dishes including lechon manok.
Jang Ki Yong chose “Filmography” as the name of his fan meeting to “show fans the early ages of Jang Ki Yong to the present as an actor.”
The event showed photos of Jang Ki Yong’s life from the year he was born in 1992, early childhood, days in high school and as a model, and various works as an actor. When he was a baby, he said, he was stubborn and a little naughty.
Host Sam Oh asked him if he was conscious of what he’s wearing or felt comfortable when he’s not working since he is a model.
“Of course, I like clothes but what is more important to me is food. When I arrived in the Philippines, I thought of what to eat so I could boast to my friends what I ate here,” he said.
When he was 20 years old, he started wearing dental braces until the time he was already working as a fashion model.
“Often people felt shy wearing braces but it was different for me. People at my agency liked me more because of my confidence in wearing braces,” he said.
He missed the days of being a runway model, saying in jest, “It was really fun on the runway. Although I’m an actor now, I miss those times as a fashion model. The feeling I felt on the runway, the only people who would know are the only people who experienced to be on the runway. I want to get back like a fashion model for the fans since I will be sexy anyway.”
For his debut acting role in “That’s Okay, That’s Love,” he played the boyfriend of actress Lee Sung-kyung.
“I was amazed because it was my first time. I was informed by my agency that there would be a video filming and there was about 30 to 40 staff who came. I thought, ‘Why are there so many people here?’ It’s a good fact that I had a very good sister in Lee Sung-kyung. I was able to rely on Lee Sung-kyung so much for ‘It’s Okay, That’s Love.’” he said.
This year, he made his film debut in “The Bad Guys: The Reign of Chaos” in which he shared top billing with Ma Dong-seok, Kim Sang-joong and Kim Ah-joong. The film sold 4.57 million tickets and grossed $33.8 million at the Korean box office, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).
“I had mixed feelings about this movie because I had to do it with big seniors who are big people in the movie industry. I was able to show different characters in the film. I’m coming with my next movie ‘Sweet and Sour,’” he said.
In choosing roles, he said, he focuses on the script and he would think how he would look like in the role. Kang Ji Yong picked “Search: WWW,” which aired this year, as his favorite drama project.
At the fan meeting, three people were given the chance to reenact drama scenes with Kang Ji Yong, who said, “It was really fun. It’s a great experience for me and a great memory and experience for the fans as well.”
Besides being an actor, Jang Ki Yong likes listening to music (and he has a great voice, too), saying, “I like listening to music and singing. When I go to shooting, I listen to music in my car.”
During the “Playlist Talk” segment, he revealed his favorite songs and sang them on the spot. Among them are “What Should I Say” by The Breeze, “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, “Love” by Sung Hoon of the Brown Eyed Soul and “2411” by Crush.
In the relay game, fans including a mother and her daughter played with Jang Ki Yong by doing the jumping rope, sit-ups and popping balloons. He also gave a box of Polaroids to a lucky fan.
A special video was shown where fans wrote letters for Kang Ji Yong, who commented that he was overwhelmed by the gesture.
Jang Ki Yong was happy being with his fans in the Philippines and he promised that he will come back.
“Time flew so fast. Thank you, everyone, who came to see me. Today is not the last. There will be a second time. I will develop as an actor and a person for the next meeting with fans in Manila. I hope there will be more projects so please support me,” he said.
The “2019 Jang Ki Yong 1st Fan Meeting: Filmography in Manila” was presented by Wilbros Live.