If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you want with you — the guy who can catch fish or the pretty boy who brightens up the scenery?

On ABC’s hit show “Lost,” Daniel Dae Kim’s character “Jin” proves you can have both. And as People magazine’s recent “Sexiest Man Alive” issue illustrates, Kim’s also got a set of rock-hard abs that might be useful for, you know, breaking coconuts on or hand-washing clothes.

“I kept closing up my shirt and the photographer and the stylists kept opening it back up,” says Kim about his People photo shoot. “I guess they didn’t know that nice Korean boys just don’t do things like that.”

While Matthew McConaughey appeared on the cover as the top “Sexiest Man,” the 37-year-old Kim was dubbed “Sexiest Castaway,” and actually came in fifth in a poll on People’s Web site for the “Sexiest Man Alive” title, edging out Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

“There’s no way that could have happened without the word of mouth and e-mail campaigns that I saw going around the [Asian and Pacific Islander American] communities,” says Kim. “It’s a relatively trivial, yet important reminder of how strong we can be when we choose to make our voice heard.”

Kim says he’s thankful to the fans that voted for him, although now that his sex appeal has been nationally recognized, the father of two has encountered some awkward questions.

“People ask me things like, ‘How does it feel to be so sexy?’ There’s absolutely no way to answer with a straight face.”

— Corina Knoll