Korean actor Lee Je-hoon, star of the Korean drama “Taxi Driver,” is in Manila to meet his Pinoy fans.  He will be holding his “Vacation: Lee Je-hoon Fan Meet in Manila” tonight (March 3) at the New Frontier Theater.  
Korean actor Lee Je-hoon at his press conference in Manila on March 2 (Jonathan Hicap)
Korean actor Lee Je-hoon in the drama "Taxi Driver" (SBS)
“Namiss ko kayo. Mahal kita (I missed you. I love you),” Lee Je-hoon greeted Philippine media on March 2 as he held his press conference for the fan meet at Shangri-La The Fort.  Lee Je-hoon’s other acting credits include the dramas “Signal,” “Fashion King,” “Secret Door,” “Where Stars Land’ and Netflix’s “Move to Heaven.”  He said when he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on March 2, he was surprised to see fans waiting for him.  “When I arrived, it was already 1:30 a.m. and I was surprised that there were a lot of fans at the airport waiting for me and giving me a warm welcome,” he said.  He said, “I want to meet more fans in person.”   About his “Vacation” fan meet in Manila, Lee Je-hoon said, “The story of the fan meet will vary depending on what fans really want me to do. I hope fans will not be surprised if I approach them randomly.”  The fan meeting marks Lee Je-hoon’s return to the Philippines.  “Actually this is not my first time here in the Philippines,” he said.  In May 2015, Lee Je-hoon visited Cebu to meet children and families who were affected by Typhoons “Yolanda” (“Haiyan,” 2013) and “Ruby” (2014), and to participate in the reconstruction of a mangrove project. His visit to Bantayan, Cebu was part of the “Love Challenge” project by OXFAM Korea and Korean TV channel MBC, a global sharing initiative which sought to generate donations for projects covering disasters, water, hygiene, food and women. Korean actor Lee Je-hoon meeting Filipino kids in Bantayan Island, Cebu in May 2015 (Saram Entertainment) His fan meet is titled “Vacation” and Lee Je-hoon said a perfect vacation is letting yourself free.  “For me, the real meaning of vacation is letting yourself free after all the hard work, regardless of time and place. For me, vacation is having delicious food. I want to try two dishes: adobo and sinigang,” he said.  He flew to Manila via Philippines Airlines and said he thought he was served adobo on the plane as it was similar to Korea’s "galbi-jjim," or braised beef short ribs. “It was so delicious. I finished it all,” he said.  While in the Philippines, he said he wants to go to “Manila Bay and ride some attractions and have fun there.”  “I found that beaches in the Philippines are really beautiful. I want to walk on the beach, enjoy food and enjoy the landscape in the Philippines,” he said.      Career  With the success of “Move to Heaven,” which won him best actor at the Asia Contents Award, and “Taxi Driver,” Lee Je-hoon said he is thankful for the support.  “Actually, instead of pressure, I am thankful for the love of fans and it gave me the time to move forward and do my best with my next project. I want to show myself in another project,” he said.  Season 2 of “Taxi Driver” premiered on Feb. 17 and got the highest rating of 13.2 percent nationwide in South Korea to date.  In “Hot Stove League,” which starred Namkoong Min, Park Eun-bin, Oh Jung-se and Jo Byeong-kyu, Lee Je-hoon took on a cameo role for the first time in the last episode.  “Even though it was my first time to take a cameo role, I thought it would be a little bit fun to be there. I am friends with Park Eun-bin,” he said.  He said he was a fan of “Hot Stove League” and he posted photos of the drama on his Instagram account in December 2019.  “Then the staff of ‘Hot Stove League’ approached me and asked me if I could take a cameo role in the last episode,” he said, adding that there are some projects where he will do cameo roles.  In “Taxi Driver,” Lee Je-hoon plays the role of Kim Do-gi, who is a taxi driver for a company that helps people who have suffered to take revenge.  On the similarities between Kim Do-gi and himself, he said, “In some parts, it is completely different. The character Kim Do-gi is hard to approach and a little bit scary. At some point, there are some similarities like me and Kim Do-gi have a warm heart. Personally, I think Kim Do-gi is better than myself.” On the success of “Taxi Driver” in South Korea and in other countries, he said, “I think ‘Taxi Driver’ is loved because it gives people the opportunity to release their stress. I think fans are waiting for more episodes of ‘Taxi Driver’ because the stories are based on true stories and based on true crimes that happened. People are feeling the joy of revenge against the bad guys.”   Lee Je-hoon said he still has dreams he wants to achieve.  “I keep on dreaming and I still wish to have some things. I dream of showing good acting either in dramas or movies. Not even in Korea but if there are good projects here in the Philippines, I am willing to join the project and I will take the opportunity,” he said.  There are still many roles that he wants to portray, saying, “Actually there are a lot especially professional jobs like lawyer and banker, and I want a story about their daily lives.”  On projects that he wants to be cast in, Lee Je-hoon mentioned season 2 of the hit Korean series “Squid Game.” “Based on what I know, they are preparing for season 2 and I really want to audition for ‘Squid Game’ season 2. But since my schedule is already full, it will be hard for me to audition,” he said.   To keep himself fit, Lee Je-hoon said he walks everyday and since he was young, he eats one apple every morning. He also drinks a lot of water. “Since my job is an actor, which is seen by the public, I keep myself in shape, go to the gym,” he said.  For the fan meeting, Lee Je-hoon said, “I really want to see Filipino fans and have fun with them tomorrow [March 3] in person.”  The “Vacation: Lee Je-hoon Fan Meet in Manila” is presented by Company On and Viu Philippines, and promoted by Live Nation Philippines.