Through smiles, stories, and, singalongs, actor and singer Park Hyung-sik’s “SIKcret Time in Manila” cured the hearts of his old and new fans in the Smart Araneta Coliseum last February 17, 2024.
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In 2021, in the third episode of Disney+’s reality show, In The Soop: Friendcation, you will hear Park Hyung-sik say to his trusted friends, known as the Wooga squad, “I’d like to do something, whether it’s on OTT (over-the-top, also known as streamed content) or something else, that would make me proud of myself.” His friend, rapper, and producer Peakboy, was quick to respond, “We are proud of you, now.” But Hyung-sik continues, “But that becomes a positive stimulant for me.” Fellow actor, Park Seo-joon shares, “That’s good.” Hyung-sik adds, “I think it makes me want to continue to try things and challenge myself.
Little did Hyung-sik know that in the coming months, he manifested and triumphed over a lot of challenges while also restoring the mental health of his audience through his projects. His two hit dramas, Soundtrack #1 (Disney+) and Our Blooming Youth (TVN and Amazon Prime Video) became crowd favorites. His return as Ahn Min-hyuk for a cameo in Strong Girl Nam-soon (JTBC and Netflix), a sequel to his romantic comedy series 2017 hit, Strong Girl Bong-soon (JTBC and Netflix), is just a tease of what he will be accomplishing two years after filming that reality show.
It is safe to say that Park Hyung-sik is currently one of South Korea’s most recognized and loved actors. But his new series, Doctor Slump, catapulted him to superstardom in 2024. This JTBC drama, which also airs on Netflix every Saturday and Sunday, tells the story of a budding romance between two once-rival doctors while experiencing their downfall. Starring alongside one of Korea’s most accomplished actresses Park Shin-hye, Doctor Slump resonated globally with its relatable themes of burnout and finding solace in unexpected connections. Their chemistry and the strong storyline made the show the no. 1 non-English TV series worldwide.
Initial Diagnosis
For Filipino SIKcrets (the name of Park Hyung-sik’s fan club), July 8, 2023 is a special day: the announcement of his first fan meet in six years! Months of anticipation followed, fueled by the official photos and fan guesses about the Manila leg. Finally, on a Saturday night in February, SIKcret Time materialized at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It was made possible by PUBLICITYASIA and MQLIVE from the Philippines, in collaboration with Korea’s P&Studio and TONZ Entertainment.
Photo courtesy of Park Hyung Sik International
Beyond acting, Park Hyung-sik boasts a diverse career. He started as a K-pop idol in the group ZE:A in 2010 and showcased those skills with a playful performance of Breathe from their 2014 album, First Homme, during the Manila fan meet. His musical theater experience includes successful productions like The Three Musketeers and Elisabeth, which also adds another layer to his artistry. He was also in movies and dramas such as The Heirs, where he starred with his current leading lady in Doctor Slump, Hwarang, Happiness and the Korean adaptation of Suits to name a few.
With such a talented and multifaceted performer at the center, expectations for SIKcret Time in Manila were sky-high. Fans from across the Philippines and even abroad gathered to witness the event. With top host and content creator Janeena Chan as the master of ceremonies, fans couldn’t contain their excitement as they waited for February 17 to come.
Laughter is The Best Medicine
Park Hyung-sik began the fan meeting with a video from Save The Children Philippines. PUBLICITYASIA served as the Fan Project Lead that spearheaded the donation drive. They also produced and directed all the fan videos, including the fan project video shown at the event.
A portion of the Diamond Premium ticket sales from “SIKcret Time” in Manila was dedicated under the name of the actor and singer. Those funds will be used to support the organization’s initiatives in securing Filipino children’s rights and ensuring their continued learning, survival, and protection. As of press time, Save The Children Philippines announced that exclusive signed merchandise will be available for auction in exchange for donations.
What followed was an official countdown, signifying that SIKcret Agent H (Hyung-sik’s name during the event proper) was on his way. MQLIVE x CTV were in charge of staging and production at Araneta Coliseum, which bloomed to full effect when the multi-hyphenate appeared on stage to sing 몽우리 (Bud), which is part of his K-drama, Our Blooming Youth’s OST. Around 7:23 PM, Janeena came up on stage to hype up the crowd and Hyung-sik began the first part of the interview.
Interpreter Ara Jo and PUBLICITYASIA worked on the script translations with the latter fixing the grammar as well as the Tagalog translations. Janeena’s wit and comedic skills kept everyone aligned, on time, and in high spirits, including Hyung-sik. The show then progressed with Hyung-sik performing Justin Bieber’s Off My Face.
Fun is contagious
Games such as Physical Coordination, where Hyung-sik played Jegichagi (similar to the Philippines’ sipa), and Memory Game (where he has to remember and act out eight of the emojis previously shown on screen) entertained the audience. As lovers of music, the Poker Face Challenge could possibly be one of the most memorable activities. Hyung-sik was tasked to keep a poker face while he tried to find the right mic to sing, as only one of the four on stage was normal, and the rest were altered to make his voice sound deep or a chipmunk. In this segment, he sang James Ingram’s Just Once, ZE:A’s Breathe and Two People or 두 사람, the OST of The Heirs.
In the intermission that followed, a video of Hyung-sik in his SIKcret Agent H persona appears, where he was given a mission to do such as reading funny scripts without laughing. It included pick-up lines and sentences praising his physical attributes and charming personality. It ended with Hyung-sik’s message to his fans, giving thanks for their support throughout his 13-year career as a performer.
When Hyung-sik went back to the stage, he started singing 너의 모든 순간 or Every Moment of You. This ballad was part of the original soundtrack of the hit K-drama, My Love From the Star.
Going Viral
The momentum once again picked up as Janeena facilitated the Code Breaking Ability Test, another activity similar to Pinoy Henyo. A word-guessing game popularized by the television show Eat Bulaga, this quickly became the most exciting segment as lucky fans were selected to make Hyung-sik speak the words, buwaya, mahal kita, masarap, labi, sapatos and gwapo. After this, a second round of the Question and Answer portion commenced, with Janeena and Hyung-sik reading the inquiries written on paper by fans. His genuine interaction with Janeena, his interpreter Ara, and his fans has been the top trending topic on social media platforms since last Saturday.
The photo segment came afterward. Hyung-sik posed in different areas of the stage so the fans could capture the moment. And in any fan meet or concert, Hyung-sik was encouraged to face the screen so he could take a photo with the SIKcrets behind him. Little did he know that his fans from Park Hyung Sik International could also make him feel kilig.
Ready for Discharge
They say time flies when you’re having fun. And that was the case here as before fans knew it, it was already the end of the fanmeet. But the show didn’t end without a heartfelt prescription from Hyung-sik. His parting message? “After four years, ngayon lang ako nakabalik. Thank you so much for all your passionate love. You know, I believe that you all have a great response when you see ‘Strong Woman Do Bong-soon.’ I can see that you really love that drama here in the Philippines. Thank you so much. And also for my current show, ‘Doctor Slump,’ thank you so much for your love.”
He adds, “Now I go back to Korea, I’ll come back with a lot more better projects. Sana maging excited kayo sa susunod. And siyempre, I want to make more opportunities in the future to meet all of you more. Thank you very much.”
Hyung-sik concluded the show the best way he knows how, by singing 그 사람이 너라서 or Because of You, the official soundtrack of Strong Woman Do Bong-soon.
A New Lease on Life
With the Korean Wave sweeping through the global culture, it can be challenging for performers to stay true to why they do what they do. Instead of just following trends, Park Hyung-sik’s SIKcret Time in Manila is an example of how a fan meet should be done. The setlist was an ode to Hyung-sik’s past projects, while also championing his vocals and his ability to act through songs. It also displayed his wit combined with his comedic skills. Rather than just making a foreign artist speak in Filipino, our language was incorporated into games where both the celebrity and the fans could have a better interpretation and association with the words.
It is so easy to stick to the same script during Asian and world tours to lessen the burden on the staff and the artist. But Hyung-sik and his Production team, composed of Filipinos (PUBLICITYASIA and MQ Live) with Koreans (P&Studio and Tonz Entertainment) carefully created a show specifically for the Pinoy audience. All the videos and game mechanics had Filipino and Korean subtitles, accommodating both Hyung-sik and the crowd. It is this attention to detail that separates a fan meet to a lasting fan experience filled with harmony, humor, and in Hyung-sik’s case, humanitarianism with Save The Children.
If all concerts and fan meetings in the future will be as experiential and meaningful as SIKcret Time, the Philippine concert scene will truly be an antidote to stress that we all deserve. If given the chance, we’d like to pat Hyung-sik on the back for a job well done.
As for me, a night with the SIKcrets and seeing Park Hyung-sik performing live, in his element, is exactly what the doctor ordered.
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