South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun became emotional several times as he met fans in Manila on Friday (Oct 2), marking his first large-scale event in the Philippines after an 18-month hiatus.
The fan meeting took place at a Manila stadium and was co-hosted by local fashion brand BENCH, which Kim endorses. The venue was packed, with around 20,000 fans waving light sticks in support.
Kim performed several songs from hit Korean dramas, including a song from Dream High, and greeted the crowd in Filipino.
He described Filipino fans as full of "warmth, passion and light," saying their support had given him great strength.
Kim appeared to choke up several times while speaking to the audience before promising to return to the Philippines soon.
He also appeared red-eyed during a group photo with fans near the end of the event. After the fan meeting, he made another appearance to wave goodbye to fans as they left the venue.
The Manila event marked Kim's latest public appearance since he stepped away from activities following a controversy involving late actress Kim Sae-ron.
Kim was accused last year of dating Kim Sae-ron when she was underage, allegations he denied.
South Korean police decided in July not to refer the case to prosecutors due to insufficient evidence. Police reportedly said publicly released audio had been generated using AI and that screenshots of conversations had been manipulated.
Prosecutors later returned the case records to police, effectively bringing the investigation to a close.
Kim has since gradually resumed public activities. He appeared on Indonesian broadcaster RCTI's 37th anniversary live show on August 23 and attended The Fact Music Awards in Busan on September 19 as a presenter, marking his first public appearance in South Korea in about 18 months.
