Kim Soo Hyun returns to shrieks of adulation

A throng of women gathered outside the Peninsula Manila’s Rigodon Ballroom yesterday afternoon October 1, their faces gleaming with excitement. Some held signs written in Korean—one imagined it a proclamation of love and support for the idol—and one wore a bunny headband with ears bearing his image.

They were the select fans seeing Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun in a press conference, a prelude to his fan meet BENCH x Kim Soo Hyun: Our Forever You today at SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City. This is his latest campaign for BENCH, actually his first in the world since his hiatus.

The very thought of seeing Kim Soo Hyun was sending them in a tizzy. And why wouldn’t it? A face-to-face meeting trumps rewatching his old series where he played earth-stranded alien Do Min-joon in My Love from the Stars, or the altruistic psychiatric ward caretaker Moon Gang-tae in It’s Ok not to be Ok, or legal director Baek Hyun-woo whose marriage to a conglomerate heiress is on the rocks in Queen of Tears.

This time they would be in the same room as Soo Hyun, putting an end to their perennial despair. It’s been almost 16 months of radio silence from him; his Instagram had cobwebbed and his last drama was two years ago. Now, they were minutes way from seeing him up close and personal. A young woman I met at the registration table was giddy with anticipation at seeing her favorite oppa. She said it was an experience she wouldn’t miss for the world. Myself? I was interested in seeing how he looked in person and his Phoenix-like transformation.

Sam Oh’s happy voice rang through the ballroom and the fans screamed, thinking Soo Hyun was finally appearing. They were mistaken. She was just reminding the members of the media to get to their seats and the photographers to the riser because the press conference was about to start.

After three more teaser-announcements, Sam introduced Soo Hyun. Shrieks erupted when he emerged from stage left looking charming in white t-shirt, a denim jacket, black trousers, and crisp white sneakers, the latest from the BENCH collection. There was no missing his smooth countenance and bright hair, lending much credence to the common wisdom about Korean actors: They really have flawless skin and great hair.

My gaze fell on Soon Hyun’s eyes, too. They were warm and vibrant, as if he was just returning from an extended gap year from university and ready to take on the world. Let me rephrase that: His eyes were dancing as he walked on stage, waved, posed left, right, and center, then sat opposite Sam, who promptly got their public tête-à-tête going.

Sam—the diplomatic host of Korean actors’ press conferences and fan meets—broke the ice by asking Soo Hyun what skill he would want to have to commemorate his 50 years on earth if he were the alien Do Min-joon. Pausing to answer in Korean, which an interpreter translated to English, Soo Hyun said it’d be great for him to have mastered five languages so he could “communicate better and with better context.”

Sam’s second question came completely out of left field, at least for me: What is his favorite late-night snack? “I’m into ice cream sandwiches,” he said, which got me thinking of Binggrae’s bungeo samanco or vanilla ice cream nestled with red bean syrup in a fish-shaped waffle.

Her third and last question was what he was looking forward to in this fan meet. He didn’t spill the tea but just said he’s stoked to see the fans’ special segment.

Sam gave the floor to 10 media members, who each asked Soo Hyun a question. The first wanted to know his first thought upon arriving in Manila. Soo Hyun said he was emotionally impressed by the fans greeting him at the airport. They were waving, stomping their feet, and their eyes were sparkling like “the eyes of angels,” he recalled.

The second asked him to name three words to describe his fans. His reply: warm, sparkling eyes, and passionate. Still in relation to his fans, the third wanted to know what he wanted to hear from them. “I want to hear them say they miss me,” he declared. (On cue, the fans screamed: “We missed you!”)

Does he have a message for the fans? asked the fourth media person. Yes, he does and it’s “Thank you for the love and support you have been giving me.”

Another wanted to know how he’d spend a free day in the Philippines if he ever gets one. He wants to go sightseeing in Cebu and visit the BENCH outlets along the way.

My question was how he’d describe his fashion style in one phrase, which he captured in three words: simple, neat, and comfortable. Gesturing to his outfit, he asked me, “How do I look now?” Smiling, I gave him a double thumbs up.

If you were ever curious about what Soo Hyun packs for his travels abroad, you’d generally find a pillow, fitness equipment, and massage oil. But his essentials would be a small travel pillow and fitness equipment.

“No wonder you’re so fit despite eating the ice cream sandwiches!” exclaimed Sam, sending him and the room laughing.

Soo Hyun has been in the business for 19 years, having started in 2007. Would there still be anything about him to surprise his fans? Interestingly, there is: He has rediscovered his hobby of photography after not touching his camera for quite some time. Lately, he related, he’s become more observant of his surroundings, particularly the lighting and now how the shadows fall.

“Ah, Kim Soo Hyun the photographer! We look forward to seeing your exhibit,” quipped Sam.

Tempus fugit. And just like that it was down to the last two questions. The penultimate was what he was looking forward to in his fan meet. He quickly replied: the “fans’ segment and good energy from their interactions.”

The final question had fans giggling and squealing with delight when Soo Hyun indulged the request to say something in Filipino—a fitting ending to the interview. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Mahal ko kayo. Maraming salamat po. Kitakits bukas.”