(CDN PHOTO/Gerard Pareja)
Second-generation K-Pop fans know him best as a former member of boy group U-Kiss who’s had its share of the Korean spotlight with -generation K-Pop fans know him best as a former member of boy group U-Kiss who’s had its share of the Korean spotlight with hit songs like “Bingeul Bingeul” and “Man Man Ha Ni.”
But Alexander Lee has since traded the stern and cold yet glitzier K-Pop scene in South Korea for a more laid-back and warm (puns intended) career in Philippine showbiz.
The 29-year-old actor stars in GMA’s hit Korean-Filipino show “My Korean Jagiya” as Kim Jun-Ho, a Korean superstar who decided to leave the limelight at the height of his career and found himself in the Philippines — an uncanny resemblance of his own life story.
Alex even fondly recalls confronting the show’s producers asking them if they studied him to mold the character, but was instead smacked and told that they didn’t even know him before their first meeting.
Alex was a refreshing image of gratitude, happiness and contentment when he and co-stars Heart Evangelista-Escudero and Edgar Allan Guzman met and chatted with the Cebu media recently before their scheduled mall show in the Queen City of the South.
“You’ve found your perfect project,” he recalled his family in Korea telling him upon learning about his show’s success in the country.
Coming from a multicultural background, it was a piece of cake for Alex to blend into the Filipino culture.
It also helps that he exudes boy-next-door vibes and Filipino-like facial features that his fans swoon over.
Heads up, ladies. Alex is single (and lonely, he says).
And he does not mind dating a fan— as long as it’s true love.
But is he ready to mingle? Find out more about the newest “oppa” in town.
Could you give us a bit of background about yourself?
I’m actually very complicated ‘cause I was born in Hong Kong, I grew up in Macau.
My mom is Korean; my dad is mixed.
And I went to study in America for one year, in California.
And then, I suddenly went to Korea to visit my grandparents and I got scouted.
And I was in the group U-Kiss. And afterwards, I kept going to Korea.
So that’s why I love multicultural stuff.
My multicultural background makes me like to connect all these things.
So that’s why when I saw this project, “My Korean Jagiya,” I was very excited because it’s Korean-Filipino, a mixture of things.
Everything else is a bonus—meeting good people, having good ratings.
Haaay, so happy. I wish this doesn’t end. I’ll cry. I’ll be depressed.
(CDN PHOTO/Gerard Pareja)
Is it your first time in Cebu?
It’s my first time.
I always wanted to come to Cebu.
I’m really happy that finally, I could visit Cebu because I’ve been to the Philippines a few times but I’ve never been to Cebu.
And I hear a lot. When I eat dried mangoes, they always talk about Cebu.
So now, finally, I could come to Cebu and I’m really, really happy.
With the popularity of K-Dramas in the Philippines, did you feel any pressure doing “My Korean Jagiya”?
I don’t know ‘cause I’m from Korea, so it’s different.
For me, I would say I had a little culture shock working here at the beginning, in a good way.
Here, everybody is so welcoming, so open. In Korea, we always have a hierarchy thing.
It takes us a long time to actually break the ice.
But for us, since day one, Heart was like “Hey, hi.” Everybody was so welcoming, so warm.
I think this is one thing I really like about Philippine culture.
Everybody is very hospitable, very welcoming and warm.
So that really makes me very warm.
But I think drama-wise, it’s more flexibile.
In Korea, everything has to stick to the script.
Everything has to be pak, pak, pak! And we don’t have a waiting tent.
We always wait in our van.
So here, it’s more fun ‘cause we are actually like camping together, working and spending time together, joking a lot. …
It’s really a good time.
Could you elaborate on the hierarchy in Korean showbiz?
Everything in Korea, everything is more like seniority in the showbiz.
So, for example if Heart (Evangelista), she’s like 20 years already in showbiz.
I’m only 10 years. So, she’s 10 years above me. I’m supposed to be more like “annyeonghaseyo.”
I have to show respect and have to…you know, not unless she receives first.
So I was really happy because from the beginning she was already very like open her heart first.
And not only the actors, but also the co-workers, the staff on set.
Usually, the directors and all the directors whatever they usually draw a line. It takes time to break the ice.
But here, everybody since day one, very welcoming.
(CDN PHOTO/Gerard Pareja)
How do you relate to your character in the drama, Kim Jun-Ho?
My role is actually surprisingly very similar to myself, personally.
I was quite surprised. For example, you know Jun-Ho is very masungit.
Kinda really sometimes. Like he’s impatient. I’m also sometimes impatient.
And Jun-Ho also tried to quit showbiz. I really thought about it.
So when I first got my script about “My Korean Jagiya,” I thought they referred to me.
I thought they researched. So I asked, did you research on me or something?
“No, I don’t even know who you were before,” Ms. Regine (the show’s producer) said.
At the end, I was quite surprised that there many similarities.
What do you think is the formula for the show’s success?
We were very nervous. But everything is so right. We feel blessed.
This was never done before. Historically, not in Philippines, not in Korea.
We never collaborate to mix what I call “Kopino” or Korean-Filipino drama.
So I was like really surprised because I was worried at first that oh, what if the audience didn’t like it?
Or didn’t like this idea? And we have no example to see before.
We can’t search or research. It’s something new. And we don’t know whether it’s gonna work.
We were like so worried. Also for me, coming all the way from Korea, if it doesn’t work, it’s gonna be like “Ay, sayang.”
You know, very bad. And everybody is doing our very best, hoping that it will be really good.
So last week, when we were in Bacolod, actually we were very, very touched because at the beginning, the ratings were okay.
It was like six point something. Okay, okay, not bad, not bad. But suddenly boom, boom, boom!
And actually we keep doing the mall show, we could feel that each time, there are more and more people.
It’s different. Very different. And last week, we broke down because… wah, the crowd, the people!
We were looking at each other, like “Oh my God, really? Seriously?”
It’s really meant to be. Everybody’s personality, I really think the success is because of the people in this drama.
I hope you guys can visit our set because you will see how we are always joking around.
What are your loved ones back home in Korea saying about your fame here?
First of all, they were surprised ‘cause they were also very worried.
Oh, this drama, are you sure the Filipinos will like it or not?
So they were also worried at first, but after they saw the reaction, the mall show reactions, they were very happy for me.
And they were like, “You found your perfect project.”
It’s the same feeling. It’s really like a perfect match. I don’t know how to explain this vibe but in the past, I’ve been working with different projects.
But this one is very different. Everybody in this drama, everything is just so smooth and it’s like meant to be, really.
Destined.
How did GMA discover you?
The reason why we always say this drama is meant to be, it’s destiny, everything is like a puzzle.
So what happened was actually, GMA did not really know me.
They were just asking suggestions. And there were like some suggested people that I was not in the list at the beginning.
They were telling me, “No we didn’t know, we’re just asking for some Korean people who could perhaps speak English.”
So it was a very narrow, limited list only. And then suddenly, my name came up and then they realized long time ago when I was in U-Kiss, I actually was in GMA for “Party Pilipinas,” “Walang Tulugan.”
And then when we searched more, the fans actually searched that we met each other before.
Seven years ago, in “Party Pilipinas.”
She (Heart) was next to me. I didn’t even know. That was destiny. They researched and everything. They have all the information about me and we had a meeting, audition, everything was, it’s meant to be.
What made you decide to pursue a career in the Philippines?
To be honest, I was just following the flow. I’m a Christian, so I really follow whatever just God gives me.
I believe if it’s mine, then it will be mine. If it’s not mine, then no matter how hard I try, it won’t come to me.
So I just tried, I like it, I’m aiming for it, I really want it. So I was praying hard and then God answered my prayer. It’s mine. Everything is so perfect here, right now.
There was a part in the drama where you were doing harana, the traditional courting here in the Philippines. How was the experience?
I was nervous because I did not know how harana actually is. But actually, I wasn’t really ready for it but we just did it.
So, I was like, “Okay let’s just follow the flow, do it.”
And then, I don’t know why, I’m the one who does it but I felt so kilig myself.
I felt the power of harana. It’s really powerful ‘cause you actually sing. So I could understand how girls would be like, “Oh, my God, it’s like you’re capturing my soul.” So I really liked it.
Is there a Korean equivalent for the word “kilig?”
No. There isn’t, actually. Kilig, hmmm. Shimkunghae. It’s like your heart beats.
It’s like your heart beating.
Do you see yourself courting the Filipino way?
With the harana? Oh, yes. This harana is gonna work, definitely.
Even in Korea or anywhere in the world. It will work, definitely.
Do you see yourself courting a fan? Why not?
I never limit ‘cause love is blind. There is no limitations. So it could be a fan; it could be whoever it is.
As long as it’s true love, I don’t mind. ‘Cause I’m still single and lonely these days. Huhuhu.
For the benefit of your female fans, what qualities of a girl will attract you?
What qualities in a girl? I would say, there’s a lot. I’m afraid I’m picky that’s why I’m single.
But more like I would say physical, nah. It’s more like the personality.
I think it’s really the personality. I think girls who are more independent, that will be more good.
Understanding. ‘Cause guys, sometimes, we wish to have more understanding and more time.
So girls that are too clingy or too obsessive, ugh. Personally for me, I like girls who are more independent.
When was the last time you had a relationship?
The last time I had was really long, long, time ago ‘cause it was even before U-Kiss because when we’re in K-Pop, we’re not allowed to have relationships.
It’s very different from Philippines. You have love teams here.
In Korea, if you have a girlfriend, ratatatata. Dispatch.
But now, are you allowed to have a girlfriend?
Now? Yeah, I’m allowed. But the problem is do I have time?
And do I have the right person? I believe finding a girlfriend is like this drama—it has to be destined.
It’s like the correct click. So I’m hoping that I could find also just wait for the right timing hopefully.
Do you have a crush in showbiz? No. Not yet.
