‘Doctor Slump’ star donates part of the proceeds from his Manila fan meet to Filipino children’s charity.
Park Hyung-sik has the face, the wit and a heart of gold. He has not only left an indelible mark in the hearts of his fans, but also made a lasting impact on the lives of Filipino children. Part of the proceeds from sales of tickets to his recent “SIKcret Time” fan meet in Manila will go to Save the Children Philippines.
“The donation will help support Save the Children Philippines’ ongoing efforts for the continued learning, survival and protection of Filipino children, especially those most impacted by inequality and discrimination, across our program areas nationwide,’’ said George Oliver De La Rama, Save the Children Philippines director for advocacy, campaigns, communications and media. Park, a versatile actor, has portrayed diverse characters through the years.
He showed his fans that he could be a fun guy, too, during his fan meet on Feb. 17 at the Araneta Coliseum. The event was promoted by MQ Live.
Idol DNA
One challenge of the show was for him to maintain a poker face while singing to voice-changing microphones. He managed to sing three songs that somehow told the story of his career as an actor and an idol, while doing his best not to laugh.
His idol DNA was reactivated as he sang and danced to “Breathe.” He said, “I shouldn’t dance anymore,” but he continued to do so. He reminded everyone that he debuted as a vocalist of the K-pop act ZE:A before most people knew him as an actor.
Park opened by singing “Bud,” from the soundtrack of “Our Blooming Youth.” He was not wearing a hanbok, but he radiated the vibe of a royal. “Kumusta po kayong lahat? (How’s everyone?)” he asked, and the audience responded enthusiastically to his greeting. “Sobrang na-miss ko kayo! (I missed you so much!)”
His last visit here was in 2019. His beloved fans, called SIKcrets, enjoyed the spy-themed fan meet. “The happiest moment of my life is right now,” he said, adding that he loves what he’s doing now.
Wooga Squad
He also talked about how he wanted to become a police officer, then a lawyer, when he was a child. One fan-favorite segment was when he talked about Taehyung, aka V of BTS. He said that the idol has been “forcing” him to listen to his songs. He then encouraged everyone to do the same. He and V met on the drama “Hwarang,” along with Park Seo-jun. They now make up the very popular Wooga Squad that also includes Choi Woo-shik and Peakboy.
‘Very hot’ Park interacted with his fans through a version of “Pinoy Henyo.” He had to guess the words buwaya (crocodile), masarap (delicious), labi (lips), sapatos (shoes) and gwapo (handsome).
The fans took this as an opportunity to flirt with him. When one fan was asked to explain what masarap was, she pointed at him. For lips, a fan said, “It’s when you kiss someone like this.” The audience erupted in laughter and cheers as the fan puckered her lips at him. When she asked if he wanted to know more, Park jokingly walked away, fanning himself. “The atmosphere here is very hot,” he said with a laugh.
Perfect moment
He answered fan-submitted questions in the last segment. On his day off, he said he spends it hanging out with friends, getting golf lessons, or staying home, but when he stays home, he thinks of his fans. He mentioned his favorite singer as Park Hyo-shin and sang an a cappella version of “Breath.” The soothing vocals were a reminder of his musical talent.
He watched the fan project video intently and laughed heartily at one fan holding a sign with the words, “Will you marry me?” written in Korean. He asked everyone to support his ongoing drama, “Doctor Slump,” which he describes as healing and comforting.
He gave his fans a rating of 100 out of 10 and said he will never forget the passion and energy he received from them. He said it would enable him to do better in his future projects. He knows of the immense popularity of “Strong Woman Do Bong-soon” in the Philippines, so he ended the fan meet by singing “Because of You,” from the soundtrack of the drama.
“Mahal kita. Saranghae yeorobun (I love you everyone),” Park Hyung-sik said as he sent flying kisses to the audience, thanking them again for spending time with him. He bowed like a king and said farewell to everyone in a “hi-bye” session that followed.
This story was first published in Inquirer Lifestyle pages of the Philippine Daily Inquirer:
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