K-drama The Glory star Lee Do-hyun draws over 1,000 fans on first visit to Singapore

More than 1,000 fans braved the mid-day heat to see South Korean actor Lee Do-hyun at Our Tampines Hub last Saturday.

This was his first visit to Singapore and, to his surprise, he was recognised when he visited a convenience store here upon his arrival last Friday.

Lee, 28, has starred in dramas 18 Again (2020) and Youth Of May (2021), but it was his role as a loyal plastic surgeon in the hit Netflix K-drama The Glory (2022 to 2023) that catapulted him to star status.

Lee said the most memorable scene of The Glory was when he said “I’ll be your executioner” to actress Song Hye-kyo. She starred in the show as the wronged protagonist, who hatches an elaborate revenge plan.

“It was a difficult scene to execute, as that sentence is something people don’t normally say,” he said.

The actor was in town for the Korea Travel Fair held at Our Tampines Hub. The fair featured more than 55 exhibitors, including regional tourism organisations, airlines, travel agencies and South Korean retailers.

The fair, which ended on Sunday, was hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization. More than 54,000 people had turned up at the fair as at 8pm last Saturday.

Dressed in a tan suit, Lee took part in a travel talk-show segment during the fair. He recommended his dramas’ filming locations to those visiting South Korea.

Two of the locations were from The Glory. Cheongju Central Park was where Lee’s character Joo Yeo-jeong taught Song’s character Moon Dong-eun how to play the game baduk, also known as Go. Lee recommended the bulgogi (grilled and marinated meat) in Cheongju.

The other location was Sodolhang Harbour Lighthouse in Gangneung, where Joo and Moon went for a romantic date.

His recommendations included Mount Seongheungsan Love Tree in Buyeo, featured in hit fantasy Hotel Del Luna (2019), and Paju First Garden from 18 Again, where Lee had his first lead role.

“I’m a fan of tofu, so I like to eat the tofu in Paju,” said the actor.

Asked about his top three favourite Korean dishes, Lee listed pork belly, kimchi stew and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles).

He also recommended the Han River, Busan and Gangneung as his top travel destinations in South Korea.

 

Fans had arrived as early as 7am to secure their spots for the event.

A fan who wanted to be known only as Ms Rianna, 28, said she had flown in from Indonesia to catch Lee at the fair.

She and her sister came with fan signs referencing his latest Netflix drama, The Good Bad Mother (2023). They had reached the venue by 7am to secure a spot closer to the stage.

“We’ve been big fans of his since Hotel Del Luna. Seeing him for the first time in person was unforgettable. I also got to know more about him,” said Ms Rianna, who is pursuing a master’s in business.

 

Fellow fan Siti Aminah, 28, had arrived at the fair at about 9.45am.

“Seeing him walking past us was such an exhilarating moment – I felt like my heart stopped,” said the teacher. “He’s so eloquent and endearing. We want him to know he has lots of fans in Singapore. He’s a good actor.”

She added that Lee has convinced her to fly to South Korea soon to try and visit the places he mentioned.