South Korean actor Hyun Bin was named goodwill ambassador for the 2014 Asian Games to be held in the western port city of Incheon later this year, the organizing committee said Thursday.
A heartthrob to many South Korean and Asian female fans, Hyun Bin, 32, is one of the actors to have contributed to the popularity of South Korean pop culture, known as hallyu or the Korean Wave, in Asia and other parts of the world.
"We picked Hyun Bin, the trend-setter in hallyu, to publicize the Games to our Asian audience and make this year's event the most enjoyable and thrilling in history," the committee said in a ceremony held in downtown Seoul.
 Hyun Bin, who completed his mandatory military service at the end of 2012, made his comeback to the movie screen in May, starring in "The Fatal Encounter" as a Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) king who survived multiple assassination attempts. In 2010, he starred in "Secret Garden," one of the most popular TV dramas in South Korea that year.
Hyun Bin said he was honored to be appointed the goodwill ambassador for Asia's largest sporting event.
"I'm honored to assume this post and will do my best to promote the Games to my fans both in and out of the country," he said.
The Incheon Asian Games will run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, with an estimated 14,000 athletes expected to compete for 439 gold medals in 36 sports, 28 of which are represented at the Olympic Games.