Filipino fans give Song Kang language lessons during meet

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KOREAN actor Song Kang

PHOTO BY MICHELLE ANNE P. SOLIMAN

KOREAN actor Song Kang certainly knows that the way to his fans hearts is through their language. Less than a minute after he stepped onstage for the Deoproce Fan Meet at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on March 5, the actor said “Mahal ko kayo” (I love you all). In between answering questions, he often said “Salamat” (thank you).

Fans interacted with their idol by teaching him a few Filipino sentences, and dialing a phone number onscreen for a chance to ask a question on the phone. Lucky fans also took home a signed Polaroid selfie and custom-painted shirt by Mr. Kang.

The 28-year-old actor first garnered international attention when he played Hwang Sun Oh in Netflix’s Love Alarm in 2019. He also starred in Netflix’s horror program Sweet Home (2020). His other popular shows include Nevertheless (2021), Navillera (2021), and Forecasting Love and Weather (2022).

He was given the title “Son of Netflix” having worked in three successful Netflix titles since 2019.

“It is fascinating, I am grateful,” Mr. Kang said about the title during a press conference at Marco Polo Ortigas prior to his fan meet. “They (Netflix) feel like family because they have been with me since the beginning of my career. I am enjoying my work with the people familiar to me.”

The actor said that he is currently shooting the second season of Sweet Home where he plays Cha Hyun-Soo, the character he says is currently closest to him. Sweet Home is an apocalyptic horror series about humans surviving attacks from monsters that are born from human desires.

Mr. Kang paused to think of responses to questions in order to avoid mentioning any spoilers for the upcoming season.

“In season one, it was the story of how the people grew and matured. Seasons 2 and 3 will be a story of who have grown,” he said.

When preparing for scenes he said, “I record the lines of other actors, and listen back to it… I look at the scene before and after the one they will shoot, so I can get a good grasp of the emotion I should be expressing at that time.”

Despite admitting that he has no intentions of becoming a K-Pop idol after his dance cover of NewJeans’ “Hype Boy” went viral, Mr. Kang stood up during the press conference to dance to the song.

In one of the question-and-answer segments with fans, Mr. Kang was asked about his advice to those who want to give up on their dreams. He said to be adventurous in the search for one’s passion.

“If you are not passionate about this thing that you are trying to do, maybe it’s not your dream. Try many different things and see where you gravitate…,” Mr. Kang said. “So, if you become more adventurous try many different things and you will eventually find the thing that you like. If you put enough time and effort into it, it can eventually become your dream. You can shine by doing that.”

THE NEW FACE OF DEOPROCE
Song Kang was in the country under the auspices of skincare brand Deoproce Philippines — he is the company’s new ambassador.

“Song Kang has a glow like no one else. He is perfect for the brand. We were enthralled by his great talent and fantastic personality. We truly enjoy working with him,” Angie Goyena, president of ZFace, Inc. — the brand’s distributor, said in a statement.

According to Mr. Kang, his simple skincare routine consists of a cleanser and a toner, which he follows up with a moisturizer and then sunscreen.

The brand’s new skincare products featuring Song Kang are the Green Caviar line (made with sea grapes) and Skin Rescue line.

Green Caviar contains vitamins A and C, as well as amino and Omega-3 fatty acids which help boost collagen production to reduce fine lines. It also has polysaccharides like Fucoidan which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

The Green Caviar line consists of a cleansing water (P690/150ml), a facial cleanser (P590/170ml), a toner (P790/150ml), a Vitamin C ampoule (P1,490/30ml), a water cream moisturizer (P1,490/100ml), and a skin-perfecting tint with SPF 30+ (P790/50ml).

Meanwhile, the Skin Rescue line comes with a cleansing foam (P690/170ml), a peeling gel (P790/170ml), a toner (P890/150ml), an ampoule (P1,490/30ml), a day and night moisturizer (P1,790/100ml), and a lightweight sunscreen (P890/50g).

Deoproce products are available in Watsons and SM Beauty, and online on Amorfia. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman