MANILA – South Korean actor Hwang In Youp said Sunday he is “happy to be back” in the Philippines, a country that he holds affection for since he lived and studied here before his rise to fame.

“I’m very happy to be back in this country that I love,” Hwang said in a press conference at a hotel in Mandaluyong, hours before his fan meet at the New Frontier Theater.

The 31-year-old actor said he was surprised of his Filipino fans’ support, noting how he did not expect many of them to welcome him upon his arrival at Manila’s airport on Saturday night.

Welcome Back!! 🇵🇭🇵🇭
HWANG IN YOUP now in Manila!! pic.twitter.com/Zms1F8XGu3

— Wilbros Live (@WilbrosLive) June 18, 2022

“I wasn’t expecting this kind of love. So I'm very thankful for this great love that I'm receiving from the Philippines,” Hwang said.

“It’s especially close to my heart, personally, because this is a country that I’ve lived in. So to be receiving this kind of love is fascinating and I’m so grateful for it,” he added.

Prior to working as a model and actor in South Korea, Hwang lived in Davao City for about four years, finishing high school and college in the southern city.

“I’d love to go back to Davao,” he said, adding that the city “has a special place in my heart.”

Favorite food

Hwang proved to be quite the foodie, saying one of the things he missed most about the Philippines was its food. He cited the local pineapple, halo-halo, and dried mangoes, and fast food restaurants Jollibee and Chowking as his favorites.

He also loved mango float, recounting how “when I was learning English here, I had a tutor and she would make me mango float… I miss that a lot.”

The actor shared he also missed eating kwek-kwek (boiled quail eggs), which he used “to eat in the streets.”

Hwang added that should he have time to go on a vacation in the Philippines, he wanted to visit Cebu and Boracay.

Sunday’s event, organized by BYS Philippines, is Hwang’s first fan meet in the country. He is scheduled to hold another one on August 20, which will also take place at the New Frontier Theater.

Korean actor Hwang In-Youp, who starred in “True Beauty” and “18 Again,” will hold a fan meet in Manila on August 20. (📸: @applewood_kr) pic.twitter.com/at4uHsTZHz

— Jaehwa Bernardo 재화 (@jaehwabernardo) May 10, 2022

Hwang began a career in modeling in 2017 before debuting as an actor through the web series “Why” a year after. He rose to wider international popularity for his role as the “second male lead” Han Seo Jun in the hit 2020 drama “True Beauty.”

Earlier this year, Hwang appeared in Netflix’s musical-fantasy “The Sound of Magic,” starring alongside Ji Chang Wook. He currently stars in the legal drama “Why Her,” which premiered just last June 3.

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