"I touched his hand! I was so excited. He's better looking in person than in the movies," said Sandra Lin, a fan of Korean movie star Lee Byung-hun. In the past two days, fans like Lin have been very busy. They took the early morning train from Taichung to Taipei, and then a bus to CKS airport, lugging large bouquets of flowers all the way, just to welcome Lee as he comes to Taiwan to promote the film JSA-Joint Security Area.
"I was elbowed by his bodyguard, but it's OK. I managed to hand him the flower," Lin said.
At a press conference on Tuesday and the film's premiere on Wednesday, the crowd was a frenzy. More than 200 fans lined the entrance to the press conference room, and nearly a thousand awaited Lee's arrival at Living Mall.
PHOTO: SHEN CHAO-LIANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Lee has gained fame in Taiwan for his popular Korean television dramas in which he always plays the affectionate leading man. And now, the producers of JSA are hoping his popularity will translate into ticket sales.
The film, a competitor at the Berlin Film Festival, is a drama centered around guards at the border between North and South Korea. Two sentries from each side become acquainted while on duty. Some of them cross the line, going inside the others' check point to drink tea and chat during freezing winter nights. Then one night gunshots are heard. Two soldiers are found dead and several injured. Neither side claims responsibility and tensions between the two countries build to the breaking point.
Lee, who plays the South Korean soldier who crossed the line, looked relaxed and happy to see so many fans welcoming him. Accepting a gold pendant and Chinese embroidery from members of his fan club, he thanked them for the gifts with a newly learned "hsie hsie" and his trademark boy-next-door grin.
"It's a film about human emotions between soldiers that go beyond political and military rivalry," said Lee, whose salary for a film was NT$27 million (US$900,000). "But in real life, I probably wouldn't have the courage to cross the line," he said.
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