Ji Chang-wook is in Manila for his 'Reach You' fan meeting, presented by Bench. His show is scheduled to take place in SM Mall of Asia Arena on November 6. But before that, we got to know the Hallyu star better during his press conference.

Clad in a white striped button-down and black trousers, the 35-year-old Korean heartthrob looked handsome with an air of cool confidence and a heart-melting smile.

The press conference began with host Sam Oh asking Ji Chang-wook about how he feels to finally be in Manila to meet his Filipino fans. To which, he said through an interpreter, 'Actually, I was feeling very happy because I was able to get welcomed by the fans when I arrived here in the Philippines. And I thought the weather was going to be hot when I arrived but the weather was really nice, too. I actually enjoyed my trip coming here to the Philippines.'

Ji Chang-wook at his press conference in Manila for the 'Reach You' fan meet with Bench

In line with his launch as an endorser for Bench Fragrances, Ji Chang-wook was supposed to hold a fan meeting in Manila back in 2020 but it got postponed due to COVID-19. Now, he feels great to have been given the chance to finally push through with the event.

Manila is the second stop for his 'Reach You' fan meeting tour which kicked off in Seoul last October 23. Asked about the concept of his tour, he shared, 'Actually, it's been awhile since I communicated with my fans, so I decided to have a theme, 'Reach You.''

His next stop will be Jakarta, Indonesia on December 3, and more countries will be added in 2023.

Bench is the first Filipino brand that Ji Chang-wook ever worked with, and he has nothing but great words for the team behind it. 'Bench was very hospitable and accommodating... they treated me like a family where I could work in a very comfortable environment, so I guess I was able to work in a very chill setting,' he says, adding that he's 'very satisfied and happy' with the results of their shoot.

A day before his press conference, Ji Chang-wook went viral, as he visited the Bench store in BGC, Taguig and strolled around the Greenbelt mall in Makati. He said that the Filipino he has tried so far (and liked!) were the halo-halo and sisig at Bench Café.

Ji Chang-wook started his acting career in 2006 and got his first leading role in a drama through the series Smile Again. He's well-loved for his K-dramas Healer (2014), The K2 (2016), Suspicious Partner (2017), Melting Me Softly (2019), and Backstreet Rookie (2020). He also starred in web series Lovestruck in the City (2020) and The Sound of Magic (2022). His last Korean series If You Wish Upon Me just concluded and he was also recently part of the reality show Young Actor's Retreat.

Lead photos from @benchtm