Choi Woo Shik returned to the Philippines for his first-ever fan meeting titled Pinky Promise at the SM Skydome on November 16. Presented by Grand Larain Productions, the event treated the fans to an up close and personal meeting experience with the popular actor.

The 33-year-old Korean-Canadian actor is highly praised by fans and critics for his versatility. His notable roles include his stint as a two-faced tutor in Parasite, the affable classmate in Train to Busan, and the free-spirited illustrator in Our Beloved Summer.

Choi Woo Shik made his entrance to the stage by singing “The Giving Tree”, a ballad from Our Beloved Summer’s soundtrack. Fans cheered lovingly as snippets of the series flashed in the background.

Hosted by the bubbly Denise Laurel, an interview session was held with Woo Shik. He said that longed to go to the Philippines because he was unable to do so during the pandemic during which he only held an online fan meeting.

Now that he was finally here, he took the time to connect with his fans. He tried to speak English whenever he could. He also made it a point to look fans in the eyes and to wave at them as if to greet them again and again. Casual as he is, his answers were very spontaneous and straightforward.

Of all the characters he played, he finds Choi Ung from Our Beloved Summer as the most relatable, but he also has a side that shares similarities with Kim Kiwoo from Parasite. He also mentioned that one of his best memories as an actor is when he, along with the cast of Parasite, won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards in the USA. He even brought the trophy to show it to the audience.

Last March, Woo Shik was spotted casually filming something in the residential area of Navotas City, much to everyone’s surprise. When asked about it, he said that it was such a short visit and he was not able to go around the country. He later said that he would consider the Philippines as one of his summer destinations.

The fan meeting also featured special video messages from his fellow Wooga Squad members BTS’ V / Kim Taehyung, Park Seojun, Park Hyungsik, and actress Jung Yumi from the reality show Jinny’s Kitchen. Each one expressed their positive affirmations for the star of the evening.

Lucky fans who won the raffle also got their chance to climb up on stage and interact with Woo Shik. A trivia game about the actor was held and the winners were able to take Polaroid selfies with him. One fan was so overwhelmed that she cried when she saw him up front. Woo Shik was taken aback by this and disclosed that it was the first time a fan cried in front of him.

As a bonus, he also prepared a sweet gift for his fans. As shown in the VCR, he asked the help of Jung Yonghwa, frontman of the Korean band CNBLUE, to teach him how to sing well onstage. As a dedicated actor, Woo Shik admits that he is not very confident with his musical chops, but when he sang a cover of “Love Light” by CNBLUE during the fan meeting, fans were very appreciative of his performance.

“I will always take this energy with me and become a good actor,” Choi Woo Shik told the crowd. He explained that he was nervous at first, but seeing the fans cheer for him gave him strength. Repeatedly, he thanked everyone for coming, and with a pinky promise, he vowed to come back to the Philippines again. To bid goodbye, he sang “Poom”, a collaboration song with Peakboy. A quick Hi-Bye Session for all attendees was held shortly after.

By Sandra Mae Laureano; Photos by Dan