He also talked about how he first learned that he was well-known overseas.

With his role as Jang Uk in the Korean fantasy show Alchemy of Souls, Lee Jae Wook has won the hearts of people all over the world.

The second season of the drama just ended to great reviews, and audiences loved the cast, especially the main actors.

But Lee Jae Wook says that at first he wasn't sure if he wanted to take part in the project.

The show had 30 episodes, which were split into two parts.

The first season came out in June and was over by August. The second season began in December and ended in January.

In a recent interview, Lee said that he wasn't sure at first if he should take on the project because of how long it would take.

"I wasn't sure if I would be able to do a long project well… But as an actor, I'm happy with how the series turned out, so I'm thankful to have been in it." The Korea Times, Lee Jae Wook

Lee also thought the setting of the series was hard to understand, even more so than the time span.

The show is a mix of fantasy, romance, and action, which was pretty new for him as an actor. Jang Uk's character was also hard to get right because it had many different parts.

"Alchemy of Souls" is a rare fantasy, romance, and action series in Korea. I wasn't sure if I could finish this series because it was so hard… And because Uk has many different sides, I was scared." The Korea Times, Lee Jae Wook

But he signed up for the challenge in the end because he was ambitious and creative as an artist.

"But then I thought, 'When will I ever see a piece like this again?' and decided to take the challenge."The Korea Times, Lee Jae Wook

He also said that the way he prepared for the same character in each season was very different.

He had to carefully change Jang Uk's mannerisms so that the character change would be clear but seem natural.

"I thought the characters were very different between parts 1 and 2. During the table read, the writers told me they want me to build the character (in season 2) as if he were a different person. So, to make a completely different character, I tried to find a new tone and read the lines in a faster, more strained way." The Korea Times, Lee Jae Wook
In the past few months, Lee Jae Wook has become a well-known star around the world thanks to how popular both seasons of the show were.

The actor said that when he went to Malaysia recently and got a huge welcome at the airport, he realized how popular K-content is around the world.

Alchemy of Souls fans are probably more than happy that he didn't back down from the challenge.

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BTS's Jin continues to shine bright with his massive popularity, securing the No. 1 spot in the MY1PICK weekly rankings for an impressive 43 consecutive weeks!

In the MY1PICK K-POP Individual Category Weekly Ranking for the third week of December (December 16–22), Jin earned a massive 6,154,905 hearts, keeping his position at the top. From the 5th week of February to the 3rd week of December, Jin has been unbeatable in the weekly rankings, proving he has an enormous fanbase and global influence.

But Jin’s achievements don’t stop there. In November, he dominated the K-POP Individual Category Monthly Ranking, topping it with 25,452,283 hearts. He has held the No. 1 spot for 11 months straight, from January to November, showing his continuous popularity throughout the year.

Jin also claimed victory in the One Pick Chart’s “November Monthly Chart K-POP (Solo)” category, holding the No. 1 position for 8 months in a row, from April to November. On top of that, he won the 2024 Season Chart K-POP (SOLO) for both the 2nd and 3rd quarters, making him the best One Pick star of the season.

The Season Chart awards honor artists who have consistently earned love from fans, with a physical trophy given to the top artist. Jin’s back-to-back victories solidify his place as one of the most beloved stars in K-pop.

Jin’s fan power doesn’t end with rankings. He’s also triumphed in numerous themed votes, taking first place in categories like “Star You Want to Collect All Photo Cards Of,” “Star You Want to See First Pitch at a Baseball Game,” “Best Cooking Genius Idol,” “Star Who Would Be the Best Child,” and “Star You Would Fall in Love With at First Sight.” His reward advertisement for the “Star You Want to Collect All Photo Cards Of” vote began airing on December 26 and can be seen at Yeoksam Station until December 30.

Meanwhile, Jin’s first solo album Happy was released on November 15 and quickly became a global hit, showcasing his talents as a solo artist. He held a special showcase, Jin ‘Happy’ Special Stage, on November 16 and 17, where fans were captivated by his beautiful vocals and flawless live performance.

Jin has also been keeping busy with appearances on popular variety shows like Salon Drip 2, Neighborhood Star K4, and Limousine Service. He’s also appeared on famous American talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Japan’s top music program Venue 101, where he impressed fans with his humor and solid live performances. His reputation as the “Vocal King” and “Live King” is stronger than ever!

As if that wasn't enough, Jin is also gaining attention globally for singing the main theme song for the new tvN drama Ask the Stars. Jin's talents continue to wow the world, and it's clear he's not slowing down anytime soon!

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