Actor Kim Woo-bin. [Yonhap]
Actor Kim Woo-bin. [Yonhap]

Actor Kim Woo-bin has drawn widespread attention after it emerged that he personally bought a gift for a longtime fan, kept it in his car and handed it to her in person when they finally crossed paths.

On Tuesday, a fan identified only as A posted a video on SNS showing the moment she received an unexpected gift from Kim, writing that she wanted to share it because "Woo-bin's heart is so warm and beautiful."

The video shows Kim finishing a scheduled appearance and signing autographs for fans before walking to his vehicle to retrieve a bag of gifts.

Spotting the fan mid-signing session, Kim told her he had bought something for her and headed to his trunk. He returned with a shopping bag and said, "I wanted to give you this because I'm so grateful — thanks to you, I got to shoot a commercial."

The gifts were products from Acqua di Parma, the Italian niche fragrance brand for which Kim currently serves as ambassador. The shopping bag was filled with several carefully wrapped items.

"I kept wondering when I'd run into you, so I've just been carrying it around in my car," Kim said. "I felt bad about you being the only one to receive something, so I bought a lot for the others too. And don't get the wrong idea — I bought these myself, they weren't given to me."

The gesture carried a special backstory.

At a fan signing event last year, fan A had asked Kim to recommend a perfume that would suit her, and he gave her the fragrance he was actually using at the time.

The story spread online under the phrase "Kim Woo-bin's perfume," and Kim ultimately caught the attention of the brand, which cast him as its model and had him film a commercial.

Kim's affection for fans and his generosity are well known in the entertainment industry. After learning of the death of a fan who had supported him for years, he visited the funeral home in person to comfort the family. He has donated to disaster relief funds following wildfires and floods, and since recovering from nasopharyngeal cancer he has consistently given to vulnerable groups and pediatric cancer patients. On the day of his wedding to actor Shin Min-a, he donated 300 million won ($224,000).

Kim is set to return to television in "Gift," a new tvN Saturday–Sunday drama series premiering Dec. 6. The show follows a former professional baseball pitching coach who, after a freak accident leaves him with a special ability, takes over as manager of the nation's worst-ranked high school baseball team.


betterj@heraldcorp.com