Fall in Love with Travel

Text: Joanna Goh
Photos: Loh Chuan Junn
Video: Fiona Lin

'Am I perfect? Thank you very much. It's nice to hear that people think I'm perfect.'

That was the question he directed back to us when we brought up his 'Perfect Namja (man in Korean)' nickname and posed him a question regarding his most rebellious act to-date - with regards to his perfect man status and identity amongst fans today.

Did we get an answer to our question? Well, not really... But not that it mattered to the 300-strong crowd of fans who flew in from all over Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and counting) to attend his first Asia fan meet and open press conference held in Marina Square yesterday evening.

After taking on a string of drama roles (Brilliant Legacy, My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox, and King 2 Hearts) with strikingly similar traits (read: rebellious kid turns over a new leaf), it seems like the award-winning actor wants to jump out of his usual stereotypical roles.

Yet to 'fix a [new drama] role', Seungi shared that he'd love to try being a 'manly character' for a change. And he's not stopping at mere masculine-like characteristics and instead aims at being the 'alpha male'.

'Killer? That's another way of saying manly. Inspector? I like it but... I'm talking about something more beastly,' he chuckled.

As one of Korea's most-loved male artiste who sings, acts and hosts, 26-year-old Lee Seung Gi is a rare find in today's hedonistic world. He touts a squeaky-clean image -- no rumours, no scandals -- is ideal 'son material' to all mums, and gives all the right answers to the media's inquisitive questions about love, work, and everything under the sun with a good balance of humour and wit.

This also explains why he is adored by leagues of young and 'ahjumma' (matured older women) fans all over Asia. To sum it up in his words, Seung Gi's a person who 'hardly gets angry' (just make sure he's fed with enough food), lives by a can-do attitude in the face of challenges, and a 'romantic lover' who has no qualms dating an older woman if he 'meets someone he really likes'.

The former variety host of popular programmes such as 2 Days 1 Night (2D1N) and Strong Heart further earned himself shrill screams of excitement when he revealed his plans to cook his specialty pasta dish for his 'future girlfriend'.

'I'd like to cook for her, so I learnt how to cook,' Seung Gi sheepishly confessed, later adding that he picked up the skill from a professional 'teacher' after learning how bad he was at it through 2D1N.

We can't say for sure if it was a conscious effort on Seung Gi's part to maintain his 'perfect man' persona with his pleasing answers, but ladies, what you see on TV is what you get - princely, charming, and definitely a media darling.

Catch Lee Seung Gi at his first Asia fan meet 'Tonight with Lee Seung Gi in Singapore' today (Aug 25) at Kallang Theatre, 7pm.

WATCH: Lee Seung Gi talks about being a romantic lover