South Korean celebrity Seo In Guk delighted the crowd with his rendition of “Ikaw” by Filipino singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino.
South Korean singer-actor Seo In Guk relished the experience of
meeting his Filipino fans for the first time during the Manila leg of
his Asian tour. This was despite some issues that emerged behind the
scenes prior to the event held at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon
City last Aug. 12.
Local promoters said the 35-year-old K-pop idol
spent time with his “Filo Heartriders” (the name of his fandom) for
three hours, breaking the record of other Korean superstars who
previously had similar gatherings in the country.
In Guk performed
one of his hits “All for You” that was featured in the soundtrack of
the 2012 television series “Reply 1997,” which he also starred in. He
likewise delighted the crowd with his rendition of “Ikaw” by Filipino
singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino.
He immersed himself into fun games and activities as well, like making popular local dessert “halo-halo,” among other “kilig” or giddy moments.
Prior to the show, News5 / OneNews.PH caught up with In Guk for an interview backstage, where he shared his excitement in meeting his Filipino supporters.
“[My]
fans have been wanting me (to come) here… They’ve been telling me I
should visit (Manila), but I couldn’t because of the busy schedule
(before)… I’m glad that I’m here right now,” the Korean heartthrob said
through an interpreter.
Manila was his first stop in his Asian
tour at the suggestion of his team. SIG, as he was also fondly called by
his followers, said it was a great way to start his series of fan meets
because a lot of Filipinos wanted to see him.
In Guk rose to fame
after winning the reality singing competition “Superstar K” in 2009. He
eventually ventured into acting, starring in different drama series
such as “Hello Monster,” “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” and “Café
Minamdang,” among other projects.
Although he identifies as an
“introvert,” In Guk said he enjoys performing for an audience. He has
also been producing content for his YouTube channel, but he always goes
back to singing, which launched his successful career in the
entertainment industry.
“Being a singer [has been] my own dream
ever since and the rest of it (acting roles) really happened naturally.
Even if I’m an introvert, I really like singing in front of people,
though I don’t really like bragging about it,” he shared.
The
K-pop idol recently top-billed a movie called “Project Wolf Hunting,”
which was about the extradition of dangerous criminals from Manila to
Busan through a cargo ship. In Guk led the ensemble cast in the
action-thriller film that premiered in September last year.
In Guk
also revealed he is currently working on a short film, but declined to
go into detail about this project to prevent spoilers. He left his fans
with an encouraging message to celebrate their talents and
individuality.
“I believe that each person has their own
attractiveness… So, just naturally communicate and show your talent,” he
said. In Guk thanked all his “Filo Heartriders” who came out to support
him during the fan meet.
Switching hosts at the last-minute
Organizers
managed to pull off the event despite some controversy that happened a
few weeks prior involving actress and social media personality Kristel
Fulgar, who was initially scheduled to host the activity.
However,
on the day of the event itself, Fulgar announced that she is no longer
hosting the show. “I was already here by 7:00 a.m. I rehearsed and then
the Korean technical director eventually told me that I won’t be hosting
anymore,” she disclosed in her recent vlog.
“If they (organizers)
found my energy lacking during the rehearsal, I told them I will do my
best. I expected them to let me up on the stage again to show them the
100 percent I was talking about but they didn’t allow me,” she added.
Former
“Pinoy Big Brother” housemate and YouTuber Karen Bordador was tapped to
serve as her last-minute replacement, which made the fans of Fulgar
unhappy. She has since broken her silence on the issue after receiving a
lot of hate online over what happened.
Bordador addressed the
controversy in her own vlog, detailing how the Korean management got in
touch with her. She said she already worked with them before, so she
accepted the hosting gig when it was offered to her despite the short
notice.
She refused to comment about what happened between Fulgar
and the Korean team, but she insisted that she has nothing to do with
it. “The point is they needed me that time. I just told myself my mind
is gonna be 100 percent focused on this one,” Bordador said.
Epic
Events, the local promoter of the show, also cleared both Filipino
internet celebrities from the issue. In a statement released on Facebook
last Tuesday, Aug. 15, the organizers cited “unforeseen circumstances”
as the reason behind the Korean management’s decision to replace Fulgar
as host.
“We exhausted all efforts to have her (Fulgar) part of
the program, even to just have one song number/duet with Seo In Guk for
the fans. But as mentioned in the vlog, the decision to have her no
longer host was not from our end,” according to Epic Events.
Nevertheless,
they commended Fulgar for her effort and professionalism. “We again
would like to thank Kristel and her family for being the nicest people
and showing nothing but love and respect,” the organizers said.
