Fridae

Ever since I visited Seoul, I have developed an insatiable craving for all things Korean - especially Korean men - even though most of them appear to be two shades lighter than Casper The Friendly Ghost.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that the feeling is mutual.

Why, everywhere I went along the streets of Myeongdong and Itaewon, I was greeted with shouts of "Ajumma! Ajumma!" - no doubt the Korean term of endearment for a supermodel of my stature.

(Bubble-bursting editor's note: Actually, "Ajumma" is a term used to address a middle-aged married woman - or to put it bluntly, an "aunty.")

Moreover, given the recent frenzy over effeminate and delicate looking leading men the likes of Lee Jun-gi (The King and The Clown, 2005), I am pretty sure that stardom beckons for yours truly in the land of kimchi (Korean dish of fermented, pickled vegetables).

So while I brush up on my already impressive grasp of the Korean language ("Samsung!", "Hyundai!", "Daewoo!") and prepare to be part of the K-wave sweeping across Asia, let's all say "Annyeong-Haseyo!" (or "hi!") to Fridae's latest batch of Hallyu Hotties:

Hyun Bin
This 24-year-old model-actor with the oh-so-kissable pout gets my vote for "Most Mesmerising Manpanion." Looking like a younger and slimmer version of my Korean Krush Kwon Sang-woo, this former school swimmer appeared to have cornered the market in playing spoilt rich young men with a heart of gold.

With lead roles in the smash TV comedy My Name Is Kim Sam Soon (2005) and the movie A Millionaire's First Love (2006), Hyun Bin is arguably Korea's hottest export at the moment. He was the first South Korean actor to appear in Esquire Hong Kong, he topped Kyodo News' "Third Poll on Hallyu Stars" and he was voted the man respondents most wanted to have a love affair with in an Internet survey.

More importantly (or at least for me), the MBC award-winning actor isn't adverse to May-December type relationships. Just check out his older female partners in Kim Sam Soon and commercials for Coenyzme Q10 Whitening Products and Cyon Idea. In other words, he's the perfect accessory for youthful types such as myself who can get away with dating a much younger guy.

Jo Han-seon
Another model-actor, the boyishly handsome Jo Han-seon first throbbed hearts when he made his screen debut in Temptation of Wolves (2004) (otherwise known as Romance Of Their Own) playing a rich high school hunk who likes to get into fights (bad boy!) and is so popular that excitable school girls snap pictures of him with their camera phones when he takes the public transport.

Unfortunately for the 25-year-old avid soccer player (who was recently appointed a "Friend of Switzerland"), his onscreen love life has thus far been dismal - in Temptation, he falls for a hopelessly common-looking girl with incestuous tendencies and in his latest movie Yeonriji (The Love Tree, 2006), he falls for an ailing lass afflicted with an incurable disease.

Far more interestingly, the Korean press had been a-buzzed about his "close relationship" with best friend and fellow model-actor Kang Don Won (his co-lead in Temptation). According to reports, Don Won apparently visited Han-seon and brought him meals while the latter was filming April's Kiss (2004), and even made sure that their promotional schedule for Temptation didn't conflict with Han-seon's filming for April's Kiss. (All together now: Awwwwww...)

Lee Jeong-jae
The veteran amongst the Korean Kuties featured, Lee Jeong-Jae, is the only actor-model in this batch of bonkable bachelors who doesn't make me feel like a womb robber. The 33-year-old first perked up my mantenna with his sensitive turn in 2000's Il Mare - recently remade into The Lake House starring transport-disaster magnet Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves.

However, it was in 2005's big budgeted Typhoon that he cemented his reputation as a screen stud when he played a dashing navy officer (uniform fetish alert!) facing off against a bad tempered North Korean terrorist played by Jang Dong-gun. Appearing onscreen topless in only a pair of black shorts, the tanned and ripped physique of Lee Jeong-Jae undoubtedly caused many members of the audience to reach out for their dribble bowls.

With an acting career dating back to 1991, Jeong-Jae has acted in the award winning An Affair (1998) and garnered numerous Best Actor awards, most notably for City Of The Rising Sun (1999). In his leisure time, the interior design trained entrepreneur looks after his chain of upscale Italian restaurants in Seoul named after his movie Il Mare.

Dennis Joseph O'Neil
One glance at Dennis O'Neil and most gay men would be damper than a Venetian jaywalker. Standing at an impressive 1.88 metres tall, the 25-year-old looker majored in photography during college and used to engage in rough-and-tough activities such as wrestling, football and martial arts.

Labelled as Daniel Henney II, this Korean-American with the Colgate perfect smile started modeling at the age of 16 and has appeared in commercials across Asia including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Korea. Evidently quite the clotheshorse, Dennis was awarded the 22nd Korean Model Best Dress award in 2005.

The good news for Dennis' fans (who call themselves "Honeybees" because they reportedly regard their idol as a "flower") is that he won the Best Actor (for First Drama) and Best Couple awards at the 42nd annual Paek Sang Arts Awards for his miniseries Sweet Spy (2005). The bad news is that Dennis is already spoken for and has a girlfriend waiting for him back in Florida.

Daniel Phillip Henney
Daniel Henney (my favourite!) is another Korean-American Adonis who is making headlines and heads turn with his Pan Asian looks and buff bod. The 27-year-old business major from the University of Illinois made his sizzling small screen debut playing a radiologist (so clever!) in Kim Sam Soon.

Like Dennis, this model-turned-actor-turned-heartthrob stands at 1.88 metres and has starred in commercials for men's cosmetics Odyssey (how metrosexual!), Asiana Airlines, Minute Maid, Coca-Cola, Olympus Camera etc. When he made his appearance at Tom Ford's Fall 2005 Collection for Gucci, the cameras reportedly went berserk while the ladies erupted into screams.

The only downside to the actor voted January 2006's Most Beautiful Man by puppyred.com has to do with the rumor that he is currently dating Maggie Q (that floozy!) who was last seen waltzing around in Mission Impossible III, slapping on foundation repeatedly while taking snapshots of the villainous Philip Seymour Hoffman with her spy compact.