A Day With Park Seo-jun
In a world full of popular Korean actors, Park Seo Jun is one of the truly global icons.
PSJ, as he is fondly called, is one of the most versatile actors of his generation. He has starred in a variety of TV shows playing a wide range of characters: from the historical action drama Hwarang and the mystery-horror period series Gyeongsong Creature, to the wildly popular drama Itaewon Class and romantic comedy What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? He has also been in very successful films, starring in The Divine Fury, cameoing in Oscar-winning Parasite, and being a part of Hollywood’s Marvel Cinematic Universe via blockbuster The Marvels, demonstrating his global reach and appeal.
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PSJ has been to the Philippines before, but last July 12, he returned for his Ultimate Fan Fest at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, sponsored by Century Tuna and organized by Wilbros Live. The actor had recently been announced as the canned tuna brand’s newest ambassador, highlighting the parallel between his versatility as an actor and the popular tuna brand’s vision for a healthier lifestyle as well as sustainable fishing practices.
Speaking to the media hours before the fanmeet, PSJ said his decision to partner with Century Tuna was based on the fact that his own values aligned with the direction the company, as well as with the causes it supports. Sustainability, in particular, was a factor because he believes in creating a great impact in protecting the world. In fact, the shirt he wore during the presscon was made from recycled plastics as a symbol of their shared cause of protecting the seas.
When asked about his fitness regime, PSJ mentioned that his ideal go-to workout routine begins with 30 minutes of stretching, followed by weight training for around 30 to 40 minutes, and finishing with a five kilometer run. That said, as his schedule has been busy these days, he admits to not being able to religiously maintain such a daily routine. When he does have some time, he says he does calisthenics.
The Korean superstar also briefly talked about his upcoming project—a new drama that tackles the first love most people experience, and something he believes that everyone can relate to. He said he accepted the role because he felt it was a character that can showcase the best of what he can do as an actor.
PSJ also shared the excitement he had in meeting his Filipino fans again; that excitement was visible in the actual fanmeet held at the Araneta Coliseum that same evening.
The fanmeet was preluded by fan activity booths at the Big Dome lobby late Saturday afternoon. Fans wrote messages for the K-drama icon at the Hallyu Wave Wall. They took pictures at booths and were able to access exclusive PSJ merch. Fans were also given opportunities to join raffle draws to win chances of having photo ops with PSJ himself or participating in games onstage with him.
The venue was packed for the fanmeet itself, which included appearances by Century Tuna Superbods winnera Coach Mauro Lumba and Kirk Bondad, and multi-hyphenate Anne Curtis. All of them shared the stage with PSJ not just to deliver kilig but also to inspire the audience towards adopting healthier lifestyles.
Throughout the night, PSJ chatted with the crowd and played games with fans onstage, including a Korean-themed Pinoy Henyo segment and a fitness-themed reimagining of our classic Hep Hep Hooray game.
A highlight was PSJ doing a culinary segment with Curtis and Century Tuna’s culinary head. As a recipe demo, they assembled a simple but delicious-looking snack of nori and rice topped with kimchi and tuna.
One lucky fan got to fulfill her K-drama leading lady fantasy opposite PSJ in the “Two Minutes with Park Seo-jun” segment. In those two minutes, against changing video backdrops and props of a park, a library, and then finally a theater, PSJ pretended to go on a date with the fan, wooing her with flowers, writing love letters, playing games, giving her gifts, watching a movie, and giving her a hug.
All in all, while Filipinos are quite used to fanmeets nowadays, especially with the number of Korean celebrities visiting the country, the one with Park Seo-jun hit different because it not only gave new and unique opportunities for fans to get closer to their idol, but also because of the positive cause PSJ was promoting.
