South Korean actor Lee Jong-suk calls Dubai the city of future in UAE fan meet

Dubai: It was a lucky weekend for Dubai fans of South Korean actor Lee Jong-suk. The K-drama actor who was seen in hit shows such as ‘Big Mouth’, ‘Romance is a Bonus Book’, and ‘W-Two Worlds Apart’, visited the emirate just to meet his fans.

Many took to social media channels to share videos of Jong-suk at the Dubai International Airport and at the fan meet.

After landing in Dubai, the 33-year-old actor shared an Instagram story with a picture of Burj Khalifa on Saturday.

Looking dapper in a suit, the actor thanked his fans for welcoming him at the airport and the fan meet. Some had even travelled from other countries to meet him in Dubai.

“It’s really beautiful for me to see you guys. Thank you so much for coming and welcoming me at the airport…” he said on Saturday.

Talking about why the fan meeting was called ‘Dear My With’, he added: “When we write a letter we usually start with ‘dear’… and other expressions that are lovable. I want to feel those feelings with you guys so I named this fan meet ‘Dear My With’.”

During the fan meet, when he was asked what he thought of Dubai, he said: "I thought it was the city of the future. The night sky was nice. I tried to walk in the night but it was warm.

“I wanted to see the Burj Khalifa. I saw it as soon as I arrived. I heard that I must see the fountain [The Dubai Fountain] show. I will go to see it.” Which he did and posted on his Instagram account.

He added that he loved Dubai so much that he sent a picture to his mum as soon as he reached. “I want to bring my mum to Dubai. I will definitely come back as a traveler,” said the ‘While You Were Sleeping’ actor.

Talking about his previous lead roles, he said he would love to play the role of Park Soo-ha in the legal drama ‘I Can Hear Your Voice’. “I have a lot of good memories when I think about that drama,” he told his fans.

When asked what his current hobby was, the actor said that he was focusing on his health. “I’m in my 30’s and need more weight training. So, I’m working out a lot,” he said.

While he did not discuss any upcoming projects, he said that he will speed up the filming process to “minimise” the time his fans would need to wait.

He then went on to change into casual clothes to sing and dance for his fans.

Born in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea in 1989, Lee began his career as a model during his teenage years. His first TV role was in the series 'Prosecutor Princess', where he played a supporting role.

The model and award-winning actor debuted in 2005 with the short film ‘Sympathy’. The former SM Entertainment trainee had also trained for three months as a rapper for an idol group called 'Real' but then quit.

Jong-suk rose to popularity following his role in 'School 2013', a 2012 South Korean TV series that focused on problems such as bullying and school violence. The show was a success and won him his first acting award – the KBS Drama Award for Best Actor.

The role went on to win multiple awards in South Korea. Over the next few years, he appeared in the series ‘Doctor Stranger’ as well as ‘Pinocchio'. He also played important roles in films such as 'Hot Young Bloods' and 'The Face Reader’.

Jong-suk has won several important awards including the 'Korean Popular Culture and Arts Award' and the 'Korea Drama Award'.

In 2013, Jong-suk ranked fifth in a popularity survey titled 'Actors Who Lit Up 2013' by Gallup Korea, one of the most recognised awards in the South Korean entertainment industry.

He is also commonly known as one of the big four Hallyu stars, along with Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Min-ho, and Kim Woo-bin.

On May 10, 2016, Lee Jong-suk announced that he signed an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment. He later left YG Entertainment and started his agency, partnering with YNK Entertainment, but is now under High Zium Studio.

The actor took a break in 2019 for his military enlistment, which ended on January 2, 2021.

He returned to K-drama with his role as Park Chang-ho in Big Mouth, for which he won the Grand Prize at the 2022 MBC Drama Awards.

On December 31, 2022, it was revealed that Lee Jong-suk and K-pop singer IU, who can be seen in the Korean sports comedy drama ‘Dream’ currently airing on Netflix UAE, were in a relationship.

“Dubai was on my bucket list,” said Jong-suk, who also visited The Dubai Fountain later and shared some photos on Instagram on Sunday.

Some fans who spotted him at the airport before leaving on Sunday, shared videos of the star on X (formerly Twitter).