KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Award-winning South Korean actor Lee Je-hoon marked two decades in the industry last Saturday by hosting a heartwarming 20th anniversary fan meeting for hundreds of devoted fans at Zepp Kuala Lumpur.

The 42-year-old has recently dominated television with his leading role in the hit drama series Taxi Driver, which earned him the prestigious Grand Prize (Daesang) at the SBS Drama Awards twice — most recently in 2025 and previously in 2023. He also won the ceremony's Top Excellence Award for the show in 2021.

Lee kicked off his 20th anniversary tour earlier this year, travelling through South Korea and China before making his latest stop in Malaysia to celebrate the milestone with fans.

During his opening speech, Lee, better known by local fans as “Abang Taxi”, admitted he was overwhelmed by the support shown by Malaysian fans, who welcomed him at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Friday evening with gifts and even a duit raya packet.

“Thank you so much to the Malaysian fans who supported Taxi Driver.

“I know really well about my nickname as Abang Taxi and just yesterday I was so overwhelmed with the support at the airport itself.

“It all feels like a dream, even now it feels like a dream to me,” Lee said.

The roughly two-hour fan meeting saw Lee sharing memories from his time in the industry while expressing gratitude to fans who have supported him throughout the years, and he also wished Malaysians a “Selamat Hari Raya”.

The event, which featured four segments, was filled with light-hearted moments, fan interactions and games, while Lee also performed three songs for the audience.

He also got into his Kim Do-gi character from Taxi Driver to deliver flowers to several lucky fans during the “Happiness Agency Service” segment.

A fan from Thailand who speaks fluent Korean said she learned the language by watching Lee’s films and television series, and was able to thank him in person.

“Because of Oppa I learned Korean and because of Oppa I’ve been able to live a good life and I also managed to travel to Seoul and because of Oppa I’ve become a happier person, thank you so much,” the fan said.

In another segment, a fan jokingly asked him about the current energy crisis that has caused spikes in global fuel prices.

Lee responded by saying he was facing the same problem, adding that as the founder of a management company, he has six company cars to worry about.

“If we talk any further it’ll become political.

“So the only thing I can say for now is, Saranghae (I love you),” Lee said.

Another highlight of the evening was a food-guessing game in which several blindfolded fans had to guess what famous Malaysian dish Lee was eating based on his description.

Lee was treated to an array of Malaysian dishes during the segment, including nasi lemak, char kuey teow, teh ais, roti canai and the popular Malaysian snack Super Rings.

The fan meeting closed with a fan-made montage of Lee’s filmography as well as a surprise 20th anniversary cake featuring the Petronas Twin Towers on top.

“Coming to Malaysia I am just at a loss for words. It all feels like a dream, your glistering eyes are just so beautiful.

“I also have one wish where I would love to come to Malaysia to film a drama or a movie in Malaysia (in the future),” Lee said.