Ki Jun Won (right) obliges for a photo op with Stone of Hope Foundation Inc chairwoman Phebie Jame A. Dy (middle), who welcomed him along with a group of Korean businessmen upon their arrival around midnight Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. (Photo by Benjie Cuaresma)
MANILA – Popular Korean drama actor Won Ki-joon slipped into the country around midnight on Saturday through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for a four-day business visit.
The South Korean actor and K-pop singer who starred in television dramas such as Jumong (2006), Gourmet (2008), and Everybody Say Kimchi (2014), arrived together with Korean businessmen from Sejong International Ltd. (SIL) and Hangyeol Holdings Co., Ltd (HHCL) via Koran Airlines from Seoul, South Korea.
They are in the country to finalize talks with Stone of Hope Defense Foundation Incorporated (SOHDFI) about staging a joint benefit celebrity golf event in the country, and a big K-pop concert next year, January 2023.
Speaking through an interpreter, Won Ki-Joon or Ki Jun Won, said his visit is already his third in the country.
Best remembered by Filipinos for playing the part of Prince Yeong Po in the 2006 historical drama Jumong, the South Korean actor and K-pop singer is also a professional golf player and this could be the reason why officials of SIL and HHC decided to pick him as their lead celebrity player.
“He is a professional golf player in Korea,” said SOHDFI chairwoman Phebie Jame A. Dy who ably welcomed the guests together with “Direk” El Buenaflor, the director for all the coming events.
“They are here to finalize our plan of staging a benefit celebrity golf event with Korean stars and a slew of local Filipino artists who loves to play golf. We will also be discussing the details of our plan to stage a K-pop concert in January 2023,” Ms. Dy enthused during the arrival interview with the media.
The contract signing between Stone of Hope Defense Foundation Inc the Korean team is slated on Monday, 03 October 2022, at the SOHDFI offices in Bonifacio Global City.
Per office itinerary, expected to grace the contract signing are SOHDFI chairwoman Phebie Jame A. Dy, You Wansup, Chairman, HHCL; Kim Cheolho, SIL representative; and Young Hun Park (HHCL officer).
SOHDFI is a subsidiary charity foundation under Stone of Hope Holdings. It conducts outreach programs and takes care of more than 10,000 families all around the Philippines.
“All proceeds of this event will be going straight to our foundation for impoverished Filipino families all around the Philippines,” the chairwoman said.
After the golf event, the second major event will be the K-pop concert in January at the Philippine Arena.
“We will find out who will be the main-liner for our concern on the Philippine Arena by October 3 through our Korean partners as they’re the ones that are in contact,” Ms. Dy added.
Similarly, all the proceeds of the concert event will also go straight to the Stone of Hope Defense Foundation she said. (Benjie Cuaresma/ai/mtvn)
