KUALA LUMPUR – Korean artiste Kim Hyun Joong, whose fame exploded across Asia after playing the Korean F4 character Yoon Ji Hoo in the drama Boys Over Flowers, attracted about 1,000 fans to Berjaya Times Square yesterday.
Kim, 25, who flew in on Saturday to promote his debut solo album Break Down, was at the shopping mall for the product launch of cosmetics brand The Face Shop, which he is endorsing. He also lent his support to a charity auction for the Global Environment Centre’s “Friends of Mangrove Project”.
A cardboard life-sized standee of Kim and a pair of knee protector that he had worn for some football games at home, both with his autographs, were auctioned off. They fetched RM3,000 (S$1,200) and RM2,000 respectively.
The Face Shop topped up another RM5,000 to the effort, with a generous fan adding another RM1,000 to the sum, bringing the total to RM11,000, which earned her a hug from the Korean heart-throb.
Kim is in the midst of an album promotional tour across Asia, and Malaysia is his 5th scheduled stop a fter successfully charming the hearts of fans in Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan and Singapore.
Dubbed as the Prince of Asia for his immense popularity, Kim is hailed as the next Korean superstar to lead the Hallyu Wave, after Bae Yong Joon.
He will leave for Thailand tomorrow and then on to the Philippines before flying home.