MANILA — In recent years, Ahn Hyo-seop's roles in the K-dramas "Business Proposal" and "Dr. Romantic" propelled him to further popularity. And while the South Korean actor is thankful for the "great love" from his fans, he humbly admits to feeling unsatisfied in his craft, acknowledging he still has more to learn.

"I always think I am lacking. I have a lot of shortcomings," Ahn said in a press conference for his recent fan meeting in the country, organized by clothing brand Bench.

"Whatever I do, even though I try my best, I try my all, it seems like I cannot be satisfied with what I was able to do," he added.

Ahn's breakthrough came through the 2018 drama "Still 17," followed by his first lead role in "Abyss" the following year.

He further cemented his identity as one of South Korea's most popular actors through the medical drama "Dr. Romantic" and the romantic comedy "Business Proposal."

His role as Seo Woo-jin in "Dr. Romantic" gave Ahn the Best New Actor prize at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards in 2020. With "Business Proposal," Ahn and his co-star Kim Sejeong were named best couple at the 2022 SBS Drama Awards.

Despite these achievements, Ahn sees himself as “incomplete and imperfect,” adding that this self-assessment has allowed him to continue striving for excellence.

"I would acknowledge this shortcoming of mine and also use this as motivation to not stay contented but try my best always," said Ahn, who has 12.9 million Instagram followers.

He said he is glad to be in a profession that "gives me a life of continuous learning."

"I continuously learn something, continuously absorb something. I can say that as a person living the life of an actor I will continuously move forward," he said.

South Korean actor Ahn Hyo-seop posts photos from his recent visit to the country. The “Business Proposal” star held a fan meeting, organized by a local fashion brand that he endorses.

“Love you Philippines❤️,” he wrote on Instagram. | via @jaehwabernardo pic.twitter.com/brQWV0n0tL

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) October 11, 2023

For his future projects, Ahn expressed an eagerness to explore diverse genres. Still, he is open to starring in another romantic comedy after finding "Business Proposal" "very fun."

He noted that he also wanted roles "that suits my current age." At 28, he shared that, "I think student roles are not for me anymore," despite playing one in his latest work, "A Time Called You."

When asked which among his characters resonated with him the most, he pointed to Seo Woo-jin, a capable surgeon with a troubled past. He first brought the character to life in the show's second season and reprised the role in the third season earlier this year.

He explained that the character started out "very negative, pessimistic [and] doesn't have high hopes about the world." However, he was able to change after meeting the fiercely dedicated Kim Sabu (played by Han Suk-kyu) and the rest of the Doldam Hospital medical staff.

Ahn said Seo Woo-jin's character development has also "changed me to become more optimistic, to see the world in a beautiful perspective too."

"I am very thankful for this project. This is one of the projects that I hold dear to my heart," he added.

To return the love he receives from his fans, Ahn has a clear mission: to do more projects that spread happiness.

"The love I receive from fans is very amazing for me. I really don't know how to feel about this, but I am really thankful for all the love. One thing is for sure; seeing this makes me realize that I have to do more happy projects so I can share this happiness with more people."

After his fan meeting, Ahn is scheduled to return to the Philippines in December for the Asia Artist Awards.

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