South Korean superstar Park Seo Joon made a highly-anticipated return to the Philippines after four years.
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, the Itaewon Class actor engaged with his Filipino fanbase, which he calls Jeomju, at a lively "fun meet" organized by Wilbros Live, in celebration of IAM Worldwide's 6th anniversary.
The event was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Before the "fun meet," Seo Joon spent a few hours with the local press at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas.
With a string of successful K-dramas under his belt, including Fight For My Way (2017) and What's Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018), among others, is Seo Joon aware of his popularity in the country?
Displaying humility, Seo Joon expressed that he couldn't fully grasp the extent of his fame, though he acknowledged the warm welcome he received upon landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Through a translator, he conveyed, "First of all, I was very surprised when I arrived at the airport, but I cannot truly say that I can grasp the scale of how big I am here.
"But being able to see how everyone is welcoming, I am really happy."
Seo Joon added, "And also I can really say that the reason why I am able to stand and sit here with you is for my opportunity to meet my fans once again."
Having travelled to many countries around the world, what has so far left a deep impression on him is the deep gratitude he feels when connecting with his fans.
He said, "Of course, before, being able to visit the Philippines and also other countries, being able to visit a foreign country in itself, was very exciting for me.
"However, these days, due to the many times I get to visit other countries, that is less.
"However, whenever I visit different countries, the most thing I'm excited about is being able to meet my fans, have this interaction, having some precious moments with them.
"So that is the thing that I'm most excited about here, too."
PARK SEO JOON: VACATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
During the press conference, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) asked Seo Joon about the places he would like to visit if given the opportunity.
Seo Joon reminisced about his vacation in Cebu many years ago, and expressed his eagerness to go back to the island.
He also mentioned about wanting to explore other tourist destinations in the country if the chance arises.
"Actually, a few years back... a lot of years back, I was able to visit Cebu, and this was actually a very memorable time for me.
"And recently, I also enjoyed going to different vacations, so if I'm here I would also love to visit different tourist or vacation spots."
@pepalerts Given the opportunity, #ParkSeoJoon expresses interest in revisiting Cebu and discovering more tourist attractions across the Philippines. Catch him later at his Fun Meet at Araneta Coliseum. #WilbrosLive #IAMWorldwide #PEPNews #NewsPH #EntertainmentNewsPH ? original sound - PEP.ph
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But what's his ideal vacation?
Seo Joon answered, "For me, I think the most important vacation is the ability to be able to empty your mind.
"Since I, myself, don't have a lot of opportunity to empty my mind, it would be best for me to have a vacation where I get to empty my mind and have some free time for myself."
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER WITH PARK SEO JOON
Seo Joon also fielded additional questions from the press, covering a range of topics including his perspectives on life and career.
Below are the questions asked during the presscon and his responses, translated into English.
Q: What's his most memorable fan interaction?
Park Seo Joon (PSJ): "I cannot say a specific memorable moment out of all the fan interactions that I had.
"But one thing that I'm sure is, I can never forget the faces of my fans when it's the first time to be able to meet them, and the time we get to say goodbye, and wish for the next time we meet again."
Q: Your global reach and influence are palpable. Considering what you have achieved so far, what would you want to tell your 18-year-old self now, whether in terms of lifestyle, career, or pursuing one's dreams?
PSJ: "I would like to tell my 18-year-old self that the future is not clear.
"If I were to remember myself during those years, I was having a very hard time because I really had a vague future.
"But if I have the chance to give advice to myself, my 18-year-old self, that if you just do your best, everything will work out.
"However, even though everything will work out, I hope you will never lose your own self."
Q: You recently mentioned in an interview that you want to do projects besides romantic comedies. What kinds of roles and projects are you actively looking for, and are you open to doing other creative endeavors besides acting?
PSJ: "Since there are a lot of different genres that exist, I think it's difficult to say that I really want to do this.
"And, of course, for me, the thing that I love the most doing and I'm happy the most doing is acting.
"So at the moment, I haven't thought about trying other endeavors yet."
Q: What steps do you take to fully understand the importance of your character to the story of the drama?
PSJ: "If we were to talk about this, I think we need a lot of time.
"So to summarize it, first, when I receive a scenario for a new project, I first try to look and take all of the information I can get from that.
"However, once I see some missing spots as an actor, I think it's my responsibility to fill it up myself.
"Let's say, for example, if I receive a role as a 35-year-old doctor, in the scenario itself, I only get to check or know that he is already a doctor.
"But for me as an actor, it is my responsibility to try to think what processes or how he became this doctor and what he went through.
"So this is what I think about in a scenario."
Q: After two successful movie releases, Dream and Concrete Utopia, and an upcoming Marvel movie, are there any plans for a Korean drama?
PSJ: "Well first, I have this upcoming new series on Netflix which is called Gyeongseong Creature and we have been shooting this project for the past two years, completing seasons one and two, so I'm sure that we will get to see each other again in December."
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