"Gangnam 1970" actor Lee Min-ho has reached such a megastar status in the Philippines that a Filipino TV broadcaster joked Tuesday the country should announce a national holiday whenever he visits.

Lee, who flew to the Philippines to promote Korean fried chicken restaurant chain KyoChon Chicken, attracted an estimated 10,000 fans at the event held Tuesday at Manila's Greenhills Shopping Center.

(Starhaus Entertainment)

The city mobilized police to prevent accidents as crowds swarmed around the building, resulting in traffic congestion downtown, according to the actor's management company Starhaus Entertainment Wednesday.

"Every time Lee Min-ho goes abroad the fans are of different nationalities, but they talk to (the actor) in fluent Korean," said Starhaus Entertainment of the 27-year-old, who achieved his breakthrough in 2009 hit romantic drama "Boys Over Flowers."

Noir crime film "Gangnam 1970," which hit Korean screens on Jan. 21, is slated to hit screens in the Philippines on March 4. Also marketed as "Gangnam Blues," the record-breaking film is also set to release across Asia, North America and Australia from March.

"Gangnam 1970" is expected to fare well in the Philippines, with Kim's character Kim Jong-dae's theme song "Anak" sung in native Tagalog by Filipino folk musician Freddie Aguilar.

By Yoon Sarah (sarah356@heraldcorp.com)