Actor Kim Soo-hyun, the star of the hit drama “My Love from the Star,” once again proved his undying popularity in China with a special performance at the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games.

Kim sang the international sports event’s official theme song “Dian Liang Wei Lai” ― which means “Illuminate the Future” ― at the opening ceremony on Saturday alongside Chinese pop stars Zhang Liangying and Zhang Jie, as well as Russian singer Molgun Galia.

Wearing a bright smile, Kim delivered an impressive performance, singing well in excellent Chinese, according to his agency Keyeast. Out of all the singers, Kim reportedly received the loudest applause from the crowd.

The beloved Korean actor’s stage appearance made local headlines in the media the next day. Major Chinese portal sites including Sina.com featured Kim’s stage performance on the main page, while Kim made the front page news of several Chinese dailies.

“Kim Soo-hyun really understood the stage well. Despite having to perform at a huge event being watched by millions of people globally, Kim was excellent, hardworking and very serious,” said Chen Weiya, the executive director of the Youth Olympics’ opening ceremony.

The actor garnered a large Chinese fan base after starring as the male protagonist of the megahit South Korean television drama “My Love from the Star,” which enjoyed high success particularly in China. Though the drama series came to a close in February, Kim’s popularity remains as high as ever both at home and abroad.

The YOG opening ceremony was attended by several key dignitaries including China’s President Xi Jinping, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the International Olympic Committee’s honorary president Jacques Rogge. The ceremony was televised live through China’s state broadcaster CCTV.

The Youth Olympic Games is an international sports event organized by the International Olympic Committee since 2010. This year’s YOG has brought to Nanjing some 3,500 teenage athletes from 204 countries, competing in 28 categories. The games run through Aug. 28.

By Sohn Ji-young (jiyoung.sohn@heraldcorp.com)