Lee Joon-ki Captivates China

Actor Lee Joon-ki, the hero from the recent hit movie "The King and the Clown", captivated the bustling Chinese city of Shanghai on Tuesday.

Lee was greeted by hundreds of female fans who screamed in delight when he arrived at Shanghai International Airport to attend a fashion show at the 2006 Preview in Shanghai to be held from April 5 through 8.

Lee had a difficult but "happy" time leaving the airport with the help of local security guards due to the crowd of fans, but more fans were waiting for him at his next destination, the building used by the exiled provisional government of Korea during the time of Japanese colonial rule. His agency staff tried lying to the fans, saying "Lee had to change his schedule and could not make it", to disperse the crowd, but to no avail. As a result, Lee could barely look around the historic site.

Lee's popularity is soaring in Shanghai because Korean movies are distributed though pirate copies almost simultaneously with their release in Korea, and the latest Korean entertainment news is spread rapidly. The city, along with Beijing, is where Korean pop culture is more popular than any other city in China. Local fans who saw Lee In person said that he is even more attractive than they have heard about.

Lee will show off his charm at the fashion show of Korea's high-profile designer Andre Kim on Wednesday, along with other Korean actors and actresses including Han Ji-min, Choi Kyoo-hwan and Kim Ho-seong.