Five years after school violence allegations, actor Ji Soo says 'my heart has become a little Filipino'

Actor Ji Soo, who stepped back from domestic activities following school violence allegations, appeared on a Philippine talk show to discuss his life there and his views on romance.

On Monday, a video of Ji Soo appearing on the talk show "Kalurks" was posted on YoüLOL, the comedy channel of Philippine broadcaster GMA Network. The drama series Ji Soo is currently appearing in is also a GMA production.

Asked how long he had been working in the Philippines, Ji Soo said, "My heart has become a little Filipino," adding, "I've been here for about two years now, and it feels like a second home."

He described his character in the series as "a Korean character — someone who wants to start a new life but carries a mystery."

When asked whether he finds Filipino women attractive, Ji Soo said, "Of course." Asked whether he would be open to dating, he said, "Very much so. I don't look at nationality. Love is possible anywhere."

Ji Soo made his debut in the 2015 MBC drama series "Angry Mom" and went on to take lead roles in SBS's "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo," JTBC's "Strong Woman Do Bong-soon" and OCN's "Bad Guys: Vile City," among others.

School violence allegations surfaced in 2021 while the KBS2 drama series "River Where the Moon Rises" was airing, and Ji Soo withdrew from the production. The series had broadcast six of its 20 episodes at the time, and filming had been completed through episode 18, forcing the production company to reshoot the entire series.

The production company filed a damages lawsuit against Ji Soo's agency at the time. A ruling ordering the agency to pay approximately 880 million won ($643,000) plus accrued interest was recently finalized.

Ji Soo said in October 2023 that he had resolved the misunderstanding with the person who first raised the school violence allegations.