Why Filipino fans bring out the ‘swag’ in Lee Sung-kyung

Lee Sung-kyung  —TCEL MARAMAG

The Korean Wave continues to take the Philippines by storm as actress Lee Sung-kyung adds her name to the long list of Hallyu stars who visited the country following actor Park Bo-gum (“Love in the Moonlight,” “Encounter”), and K-pop acts such as Blackpink, Twice, Stray Kids, Sohee, Kim Dong-han, Elris, NCT 127 and Red Velvet, who headlined the recent K-pop World Music Festival 2019.

It was Sung-kyung’s first time in the Philippines—and part of the Manila leg of her “Be Joyful” fan meet at the SM Sky Dome last Saturday.

Overwhelmed by the warm reception she got, Sung-kyung reciprocated her followers’ well wishes through her translator. “All I can say is that I love the Philippines and the Filipino people,” she declared with a smile. “I hope that this visit becomes a special memory for them. Thank you very much to all my fans. Even when I was still sporting my short hair as Kim Bok-joo, I was already dreaming of visiting the Philippines—and now I’m here! I am overwhelmed by the love and support of my fans.”

The statuesque star (she’s 5’9”) began her career as a model at 18. When she competed in her home country’s Super Model Contest in 2008, she won the “Lex Price.” It was only a matter of time before she became one of Korea’s top models, donning the haute couture creations of Chanel, Prada, DKNY, Vivienne Westwood and Vera Wang.

The fashion icon shared, “For me, being fashionable means that even if the trend has passed, what we show to people or how we carry ourselves never goes out of style. Being self-assured about what works for us is how I define being fashionable.”

From modeling, Sung-kyung branched out into acting via the K-drama “It’s Okay, That’s Love,” portraying a role that she considers a blessing. She said that she was inspired to pursue acting because of the veteran performers she worked with in the series.

We asked Sung-kyung if she had a hard time shifting from modeling to acting. She replied, “I had a great time! I enjoyed the challenge of shifting from modeling to acting. There are things that I had to adjust to, such as establishing a deep emotional connection to the characters I played, which helped me focus even more as an actress.”

The aforesaid gig landed her a role in the series “Flower of Queen,” where she won best new drama actress at the 2015 MBC Awards. Thereafter, she played other characters that led to her very first leading role in “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo,” a coming-of-age series that was inspired by the life of Olympic gold medalist Jang Mi-ran.

Sung-kyung (left) with Nam Joo-hyuk in “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo”

For playing Kim Bok-joo, Sung-kyung bagged the Excellence Award for an actress in a miniseries at the 35th MBC Drama Awards.

The series, which was aired by ABS-CBN in 2017, became an instant hit with Pinoy audiences, who rooted for the romance between Bok-joo and Jung Joon-hyung, played model-turned-actor Nam Joo-hyuk, whom she also dated offscreen.

The series’ trio of female athletes, made up of Bok-joo and her friends, also popularized the catchphrase “Swag!”—which means awesome.

Asked about what situations she considered “Swag!,” Sung-kyung said that her visit to Manila to meet her fans was on top of her list. Her response came with the signature hand gesture from the show, which sent fans screaming with delight.

As to how she prepared for the role of Bok-joo, Sung-kyung said, “I’m very grateful to the Filipino fans for your support for the series, and I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. The role was a challenge for me because I had to transform physically and gain weight to become Bok-joo. I tried to understand her personality by looking into her motivations, like her determination to overcome the odds.”

Can fans look forward to another season of “Weightlifting Fairy”? She mused, “Let’s see. I’ll have to discuss this with the writer and director of the show.”

But Sung-kyung is more than just a pretty face. She’s also an accomplished singer and dancer. In fact, during her fan meet, she played the piano and showed off her terpsichorean skills as she danced to the hit songs of Blackpink (“Kill This Love”), Twice (“Fancy”) and Jennie (“Solo”).

She also recorded songs for the official soundtrack of her latest fantasy-romance series “About Time,” where she plays Choi Mikaela, a musical actress who’s cursed with the ability to see the future of others. Choi then falls in love with the man who has the power to put an end to her dilemma.

“Of all the characters I played, Mika and Bok-joo are my favorites,” she shared. “Mika is close to my heart because I can relate to her musical background.”

Lee Sung-kyung

Sung-kyung’s cover of “A Whole New World,” which was posted in her official Instagram account in February 2017 recently went viral after it was reposted by one of her 9.4 million followers.

This caught the attention of Lea Salonga, the original singing voice of Princess Jasmine, who reposted the video on Instagram with the caption, “This is so adorable! Isn’t she a Disney princess?”

Sung-kyung replied in the comments section, “I am so thankful and honored, Lea! I’ve been practicing listening to you. You are inspirational, and I love you so much!”

She also treated her fans with her cover of the Disney classic “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid.”

Sung-kyung also shared that she wants some things ticked off on her bucket list before she turns 40. “First, I want to see my Filipino fans again, soon,” she teased. “Second, I want to experience living abroad with my family—even for a month. Lastly, I just would like to stay healthy and hopefully have another project like ‘Weightlifting Fairy’” that can leave a positive mark with her fans.