By Joy Fang

EVER since Korean actor Lee Min Ho found fame in the popular Korean drama Boys Over Flowers, he has turned into a recluse of sorts.

So he told my paper at a press conference for Korean beauty brand Etude House at the Raffles Hotel last Saturday.

"I don't go out as often as I used to because of the attention that I get on the streets," the 22-year-old said contemplatively through a translator.

He added: "When I go outside, people (constantly) ask for photographs, or stop to ask me questions."

That could be taken as an understatement.

The lanky star - who became an instant hit this year thanks to his meaty role as Goo Jun Pyo, the leader of F4, a group of four rich boys studying in an elite school in the drama Boys Over Flowers - has a somewhat-rabid female fan base.

About 50 female fans had gathered, digital cameras at the ready, at the Raffles Hotel, all eager to catch a glimpse of their idol.

And, last Saturday, over 800 fans flooded the Plaza Singapura outlet of Etude House, where he was slated to appear after his press conference.

But, alas, his appearance was cancelled for safety reasons as the crowd was too large, according to an Etude House spokesman.

Lee's sudden popularity came in the wake of a previously fledging career.

Though he broke out in his first leading role in the high-school drama Run! Mackerel two years ago, the series was reduced from 24 episodes to only eight.

His next drama, I Am Sam, also received dismal viewership.

But Boys Over Flowers, which also starred pop singer Kim Hyun Joong of boy band SS501, was genius in casting Lee as a haughty heir, the bad boy with the generous pout.

And, voila, he, along with other little-known co-stars like Kim Bum, shot to super-stardom.

And boy, does Lee sure know how to work a crowd.

Asked how he'd try to win a girl's heart, he hastens to tell you that he is nothing like Goo, who prefers to woo women with extravagant gifts.

"If you had the money and you could give presents to win a girl's heart, it would be helpful," he said with a chuckle.

But sincerity and honesty are the keys to really wining someone over, he added.

He revealed that, once, to mark a 100-day anniversary with a girlfriend, he lined the walkway of a church with 200 candles and placed a ring at the end of the path.

It's perhaps such revelations that have won him his fan base and, thus, his multiple endorsement deals, such as with Etude House.

His endorsement of the beauty brand is not an entirely surprising one.

The metrosexual hottie was constantly adjusting his hair during the press conference. Lee also revealed that he likes a woman natural - meaning, sans make-up.

"Personally, I don't have anything against women using make-up but I think too much make-up is not the most attractive," he said.

That's a cue for Singaporean fans to chuck their make-up kits into the nearest bin.

joyfang@sph.com.sg

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