South Korean singer-actor Cha Eun-woo. Photo: @CHAEUNWOO_offcl/X

MANILA — When he was in elementary school, Cha Eun-woo lived and studied in the Philippines for several months, enough to consider the country as a second home. Little did the then-foreign student realize that years later, he would keep coming back here as a celebrity beloved by many Filipinos.

The K-drama heartthrob, known for starring in dramas such as “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” and “True Beauty,” is well aware of his Filipino fans’ ardent support for him, which is why he feels delighted whenever he is able to perform for them.

“I’m always happy to perform for my Filipino fans who always cheer for me loudly,” Eun-woo told ABS-CBN News in an interview arranged by PULP Live World ahead of the Manila stop of his “Just One 10 Minute [Mystery Elevator]” tour.

“I’m most looking forward to the fans’ cheers at the show. I prepared a lot of different performances so I hope that everyone has a great time,” he said of the event set to take place on March 16 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

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The tour kicked off in Seoul last February, shortly after Eun-woo dropped the extended play (EP) “Entity,” which marked his first release as a solo singer. Prior to that, Eun-woo had been performing with the boy band Astro since its debut in 2016.

“It’s the first solo album that I released so I was very nervous and had lots of worries,” Eun-woo said. “But the thought of wanting the fans to hear it as soon as possible also made me excited.”

The 26-year-old artist was heavily involved in the EP’s production, having been credited as a lyricist in all of the songs. This is why, Eun-woo said, the album “is really special to me.”

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Through the EP, “I wanted to be honest and comfortable in expressing both Cha Eun-woo and Lee Dong-min as a person,” the artist said, referring to his real name.

“All the things I’ve heard, seen, and felt, I put them in this album, so it would be nice if those things have been heard properly,” he said.

Considering the artistic ventures he has undertaken, Eun-woo was asked what kind of impression he wanted to leave on people. “More than leaving an impression, I think it would be nice if people remember happy memories when they think of me,” he said.

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