By Kim Ji-soo
Lee Kwang-soo of the popular entertainment program “Running Man” will interact with Chinese fans using emoticons on We Chat, Yonhap reports Tuesday. Lee is often referred to as “Prince of Asia,” because of his popularity on the entertainment program in which he appears with other top hallyu stars such as his friend the actor Song Joong-ki. Insiders speculate that Lee is paid hundreds of millions of won for his appearances at special events.
Lee’s talent agency King Kong Entertainment said that one set of emoticons expresses the entertainer’s various smiles. Another set comprises 24 different styles and expressions.
Lee is the first Korean entertainer to have his emoticons produced in China. We Chat, run by the Chinese Internet company Tencent, has about 650 million users.
The 31-year-old is currently starring in the Friday/Saturday drama “Dear My Friends,” written by star writer No Hee-gyeong on the cable channel tvN. In addition, he appears in KBS’s web drama titled “The Sound of the Heart.”