By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Actor
Sin Dong-wook leads the next generation of hallyu stars as he reappears on a popular Japanese TV series. The 25-year-old was cast as a detective in BS-i channel's "The Cell Phone Detective" (Keitai Deka) last December, and will once again make an appearance opposite Japanese teen actress Aya Omasa.
The actor met with the press Tuesday in Tokyo after two days of shooting the drama. Unlike the first time he appeared in "The Cell Phone Detective", Sin had to deliver lines in Japanese.
"It was my first time acting in a foreign language. I learned that language is just one form of expression and got to know a different world", he was quoted as saying by Yonhap News. He went on to demonstrate differences and similarities between the Korean and Japanese languages.
Sin rose to stardom here through the hit SBS drama "
War of Money", which is currently airing on Japan's BS11. His popularity spread to Japan, and an official fan club and Web site were established last fall. In November, he met some 1,000 Japanese fans in a large-scale event.
According to the star's management agency Star Art Entertainment, Sin, unlike predecessors like
Bae Yong-joon (aka. "Yonsama"), has a younger fan base in Japan, including teens. The DVD of the MBC series
"Soul Mate", starring Sin, is slated for release there Feb. 22.
The episode of "The Cell Phone Detective" starring Sin will air Feb. 23.
