Fans celebrate new star's birthday

By Chung Ah-young

Kim Soo-hyun

Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s fans both at home and abroad are eager to show their support through donations for the needy in Kim’s honor.

Key East, Kim’s agency, said Tuesday that to celebrate his 26th birthday on Feb. 16, fans have donated 4.22 tons of rice, 6,220 briquettes, 3,200 diapers, 1,200 tubs of ramen along with 5 million won in cash.

Kim is currently garnering skyrocketing popularity for his role in the top-rated SBS drama “My Love from the Stars” along with Jun Ji-hyun.

“I was deeply moved by my fans’ heartfelt gifts of donations. I will do the best in acting in this drama to respond to the support from the fans,” Kim said in a press release.

Donations are becoming popular gifts from fans for their stars.

Kim’s fans also sent a donation package of 1.5 tons of rice at the press promotion event for the film “The Thieves” in June, 2012.

They gave 4.22 tons of rice to charity organizations for the underprivileged and planted 100 mango trees for public use when Kim held a showcase for the film “Secretly, Greatly” in 2013. In the press event for “My Love from the Stars” in December last year, the fans displayed their loyalty for him with a “donation gift” of 2 tons of rice and more than 6,000 briquettes for the needy.