A rare fantasy gem in K-dramaland, Alchemy of Souls continues to keep its position as part of Netflix’s Top 10 Series in the Philippines. And much of that popularity is thanks to the amazing performance and chemistry of its cast, including main lead Lee Jae-wook. Get to know your latest K-drama crush with these fast facts:

He’s only 24.

The actor was born on May 10, 1998, so for those who love astrology, this up-and-coming oppa is a Taurus!

He debuted in 2018.

In fact, his debut was in the later months of 2018, because his first acting role was in Hyun Bin-led Memories of Alhambra, where he played Marco Han, a short-tempered and crazed hacker-programmer acquainted with the female lead’s brother.

He was immediately scouted after his first appearance.

Jae-wook started off as a freelancer, which means he had no agent and was doing all auditions and project management by himself. But after his brief appearance in Memories of Alhambra, Hyun Bin’s agency VAST Entertainment immediately signed him on.

His contract expired last 2021, and Jae-wook has since moved to C-JeS Entertainment, which also handles singer Gummy and actor Ryu Jun-yeol (Reply 1988).

He’s a versatile actor.

Immediately after his first project, Jae-wook has been booked and busy with main roles in Search WWW and Extraordinary You (both in 2019). In these two dramas, he played characters with opposite personalities. His Search WWW character was a kind and introverted man, while his Extraordinary You found him playing an arrogant bad boy.

Just a year later, Jae-wook secured his first lead role in Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol opposite Go Ara. Now, he’s currently stealing hearts left and right with his lively and charming role as the male lead Jang Wook in Alchemy of Souls.

He has always dreamt of acting.

After working odd jobs and trying many things while in high school, Jae-wook said he had the most fun when he tried acting. “I have tried many things, but it was the first time I felt that I was drawn to something and that I had a desire to work hard,” he said. He even entered Chung-Ang University to take up a degree in Theater Arts.

But he does feel a bit of regret concerning his previous roles.

That is, Jae-wook is known for feeling regret for his previous roles *not* because he thinks he did badly, but because he feels he could have done something better. “No matter what I do, I think there will be disappointing parts when I monitor [my scenes]. That’s not just me, but all actors. However, the word ‘regret’ does not mean failure,” he told Esquire Korea.

“I feel like I’m lacking a little, and I’m going to continue acting with the mindset that I’ll do better next time. So I can show you a better me in the next projects.”

His personality is the opposite of Baek Kyung and closer to Jang Wook.

According to the actor, his personality is more vibrant and positive, as opposed to the rough character of Extraordinary You’s Baek Kyung. Despite these opposite characteristics, or more likely because of it, Jae-wook was excited to play Baek Kyung.

But now that he’s acting as Jang Wook in Alchemy of Souls, we think Jae-wook found a role closer to his real-life personality, as Jang Wook is lively, charming, and persistent in all that he does.

It’s also funny how he found it difficult to play the historical drama scenes in Extraordinary You, saying he had some difficulty speaking in the historical tone. However, now, he’s able to fulfill the promise to be more prepared for his next historical drama project, because we and every viewer watching think he’s smashing it in Alchemy of Souls!

He’s an award-winning actor, but he’s just like us.

In his first full year active in the industry, Jae-wook has already won Best New Actor for his performance in Extraordinary You. Then just a year later, he won an Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries for his work in Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol, as well as Rookie of the Year, one of the biggest awards in Asia Artist Awards.

But like you and me, he’s always excited to receive delivery packages. He even told Esquire Korea that sometimes, he’s more excited about the act of receiving the delivery than the actual item. “I get excited when I receive a message saying that an item has been delivered at the door. I’d quickly get the package and enjoy the process of opening the box, trying on the shoes, going out wearing them, and getting compliments from friends.”

He also loves to sleep (he’d choose to sleep for long hours instead of staying up!), and he could easily get enraptured with his phone. In fact, when asked to choose between friends and his phone, he can only apologize to his friends. “I think I have so much information on my phone,” he told Marie Claire. “I can’t live without my phone because I rely on it a lot.” Who can relate? *everyone raises both hands*

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