It seems EXO member Park Chanyeol isn't ready to be called a "tito" just yet!
On December 16, 2023, during his exclusive fan meet with Penshoppe at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, a Filipino fan referred to Chanyeol as "samchon," which means 'uncle' in Korean.
This hilarious moment happened towards the end of the event when Filipino EXO-Ls (the fandom name) showcased their video fan project featuring their messages for Chanyeol.
At a certain point in the video, a fan, whose voice suggests they might be way younger, can be heard saying in Korean, "Hello, Uncle Chanyeol! You're my inspiration to study more. Please always be happy and healthy! Fighting, Uncle Chanyeol! See you!"
Chanyeol was taken aback when he saw the word "samchon" flash on the LED screen.
His humorous reaction followed, "Samchon?! No! I'm not uncle!"
On X, formerly Twitter, a few EXO-Ls pointed out that the fan is a 10-year-old kid demonstrating respect to their idol.
The fan's "samchon" comment, however, haunted him, even as he made his way back to South Korea.
On December 17, 2023, upon Chanyeol's arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport for his return to South Korea, a fan greeted him.
In response, he waved and humorously remarked in Korean, "As long as you don't call me uncle, it's fine."
HIGHLIGHTS of chanyeol fan meet
Filipino EXO-Ls got an early Christmas gift through Chanyeol's fan meet just days before the big day.
The event, lasting about an hour and a half, was a blast, filled with fun games and awesome performances.
Chanyeol made a grand entrance and wowed everyone by performing "Nothin'," his song with EXO's Sehun for their sub-unit group called EXO-SC.
After his opening performance, he greeted the crowd, "Mabuhay, Philippines! Long time, no see! I'm Chanyeol, nice to see you again!"
In the first interview, Chanyeol told his fans that he's been busy recording new stuff and working out a lot back in Korea.
When asked how he feels about being back in the Philippines, Chanyeol said he feels the warmth, not just from the weather but also from the fans' reception.
He said in Korean, "You know, my heart is really warm right now.
"You know, when I was actually coming here from Korea, it was rainy and, you know, very cold. I think the heat here in the arena is really off the roof."
Chanyeol was also asked about which Filipino food or dish he'd like to try while in the country and what items he'd like to bring back to Korea with him.
He answered, "I think the first thing that I have to bring to Korea from Philippines is dried mangoes... And also bananas. I actually love bananas.
"And, of course, the item that I would like to bring from Philippines to Korea is, of course, Penshoppe.
"You know, if I could, I would actually want to visit the Penshoppe shop in SM Mall of Asia, you know, and check all the clothes out there.
"Because clothes are better if there are many."
He then invited the fans, "You know, after this concert, shall we go together?"
Chanyeol also took a trip down memory lane, recalling his first visit to the Philippines.
He revealed that the Philippines was the very first international country he had the chance to explore.
Reflecting on his initial experience and the places he visited, he shared, "When I was in second-year middle school, I actually visited the Philippines to actually study English.
"You know, actually, when I visited here, I can't remember, you know the Pagsanjan waterfall? I've been there and also I rode a horse in a mountain.
"And in the last weekend, I went to the mall with the other [friends] and we actually had a shopping there."
Chanyeol kept the excitement at his fan meet going with his performance of the song "Tomorrow" and brought good vibes with "SSFW."
In another part of the show, Chanyeol answered quick questions in the "Fast Talk" section and showed off his artistic side by drawing on three white shirts.
He gave these shirts to lucky fans through a raffle.
Another highlight of the fan meet was when Chanyeol accepted a challenge to express "Mahal Kita" in various ways.
Chanyeol had to complete three rounds of the challenge, and each round filled the arena with enthusiastic cheers to max out the "kilig" meter.
The cheers reached their peak when Chanyeol, playfully taking off his jacket, flexed his arms, and exclaimed, "Mahal kita."
He also garnered loud cheers when he sang a portion of the song "Hawak Kamay" acapella, concluding it with a heartfelt "Mahal Kita."
To keep hyping up the crowd, Chanyeol performed the song "Rodeo Station," and he concluded the show on a high note with the soulful sounds of "Good Enough."
EXO'S CHANYEOL: MESSAGE TO FANS
Fans in the Patron and VIP sections had a special "Bye" session with Chanyeol.
It was during this time that Chanyeol expressed his gratitude and excitement to his Filipino fans.
He also noted how delighted he was that they filled the entire stage for him.
"It was really fun today. I had so much fun, guys," Chanyeol told fans.
"The thing that I got really surprised is that, you know, you guys actually came all the way and actually filled the whole stage just for me. And I was really surprised about that.
"And because your reactions were so good, I was so excited to perform for you guys as well.
"And I'm also mentioning again, thanks so much to [clothing brand] for actually giving us this opportunity to actually make this happen."
Chanyeol also expressed his wish to visit the Philippines again and concluded his message by letting his fans know that he's currently working on new music.
"I think I would like to visit the Philippines over again. I'm thinking whenever I visit the Philippines again, I would like to bring a new song.
"I'm actually working on it every day and, you know, try to maintain my health, so please wait for me, okay? Yes, thank you Philippines. Thank you, Penshoppe.
"Thank you so much."
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