With the international popularity of his fantasy series Alchemy of Souls now being seen internationally, South Korean actor Lee Jae-Wook shared how thankful he was to be part of a highly successful series not just in Korea but in other countries like the Philippines. 

“It’s something that I’m very grateful for. It is the result of the hard work of the production team and also the other actors as well. And I would actually really like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the results that this drama has brought out,” he shared (translated from Korean by event host Sam Oh) during the press conference for the Asia Tour Fan Meeting in Manila last March 10. 

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Since the release of the series, Jae-Wook said it has changed his life and career in a major way.

“It wasn’t something I expected at all. And because the fantasy genre is not the most common genre that is found in the K-drama scene right now, so it wasn’t something that I expected. I think just the fact that I have a fan meeting is a significant change in my life. Because of this platform called Netflix, K content is now readily available to people everywhere in the world and so that the fact that I can be away from Korea and in a different country where I can meet with the fans and communicate with them, this is a huge change that was brought about by the show,” he said.

The Alchemy of Souls star also shared that his latest series is his most memorable role to date.

“Actually I think the reason why I’m here is because of the role of Jang Uk in Alchemy of Souls. It’s really what enabled me to even tour in Asia this time. It’s a role that I had to play for a long time. The shoot was quite long and it’s a character that has become very close to my heart. So that is the most memorable role for me that now,” he added.

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Jae-Wook also explained what first got him interested in the craft before he made his acting debut almost five years ago in the series Memories of the Alhambra.

“I love working but I would get tired of a job easily. So at some point, I asked myself, ‘What should I do?’ and I thought of acting because I get to play different roles all the time. So it’s like doing different things all the time. So I decided to give that a shot and I went to school for it. And now here we are today. That is how I decided and how I got into the craft of acting,” he explained.

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With season 2 of the show now available for streaming online, Jae-Wook said he could relate more to the character in the initial season as compared to the later one.

“I’m really more like Jang Uk from season 1. I like to have people people around me during free time. I’m naughty, I’m playful, that’s my real personality and that’s closer to Jang Uk from season 1. Season 2 Jang Uk was a lot more serious and there wasn’t a lot of time moving from season 1 to season 2. We actually started shooting season 2 less than a week after season 1. So there wasn’t a whole lot of time for me to digest that.

“But I was able to communicate very well with the writer and the director which made the transition easier for me but I’d be lying if I said the transition was easy. But then again I also had a lot of help on the set,” he admitted.

During the presscon, Jae-Wook also shared what he will miss most about playing Jang Uk. The 24-year-old actor also looks forward to playing more complex and stronger characters onscreen in his next projects.

“I miss the warmth on the set. My cast mates and the people that I worked with on the show really became my family because we were together for something like a year. So they really felt like brothers and family members to me. So the warmth and the passion that we all had on that set is what I miss most about portraying that character,” he admitted.