PH fans’ smiles leave Kim Soo-hyun in tears
The recent Manila leg of the “Eyes on You” fan meeting tour had barely started, but already, Kim Soo-hyun—star of the hit series “Queen of Tears”—was in tears.
The overwhelming international success of the 2024 K-drama was one of the catalysts behind this much-anticipated tour. Asked by the night’s host, Sam Oh, to give a message to those who supported it, the South Korean actor choked up, unable to begin his sentence because of the deafening screams that filled the Araneta Coliseum.
And just when you thought the cheers couldn’t get any louder, they did. Soo-hyun lost it. He got up from his seat to get some tissue, turned his back and wiped away his tears. “We have turned him into the ‘King of Tears,’” Sam quipped.
As it turned out, it was the Filipino fans’ smiles that got him. “Lahat kasi kayo naka-smile,” Soo-hyun said through an interpreter. “I turned emotional right away … and because of your love and support, I was able to attend a fan meeting here in the Philippines.”
One of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, Soo-hyun is known for his impeccable choice of projects. The event’s introduction montage highlighted just that.
The giant LED screens sprang to life with a parade of some of the most well-loved roles he has played on television and film throughout his career: Song Sam-dong (“Dream High”), Zampano (“The Thieves”), Jang Tae-young (“Real”), Do Min-joon (“My Love from the Star”), Baek Seung-chan (“The Producers”), Moon Gang-tae (“It’s Okay to Not be Okay”) and, of course, Baek Hyun-woo (“Queen of Tears”).
Commercially, the 36-year-old actor is a proven force, but he also has the critical acclaim to go with it: five Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award, to name a few.
Natural charm
While a resume of such caliber may conjure up an image of someone of lofty or intimidating presence, Soo-hyun is anything but. In fact, doing live shows is something he still hasn’t really gotten used to despite having done several in the past.
“I still got nervous when I got up onstage,” confessed Soo-hyun, who also visited the Philippines in 2023 and 2022 for brand-related events. “Eyes On You” was his first proper tour since 2014.
Soo-hyun seems to be someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously. He wasn’t afraid to look awkward or silly. He has a natural charm and humor, which shone during the event’s various segments and games.
The actor doesn’t usually write captions for his Instagram posts so in the segment “Yongduri Photo Studio,” he was asked to talk more about his pictures, one of which showed him by a river, his left sweater sleeve drooping, exposing his arm. Under a time limit, he began to explain himself in rapidfire fashion.
As he rambled on, the quick-thinking Soo-hyun—much to everyone’s shock—pulled down his sleeve. Bedlam ensued.
In “Soo-hyun’s Commentary,” he shared his insights and recalled what was going through his mind while doing select scenes from his dramas. After watching a clip from “Queen of Tears,” where a sick and befuddled Hong Hae-in (played by Kim Ji-won) mistakes Yoon Eun-sung (Park Sung-hoon) for his character, Hyun-woo, the actor yelled, as if replicating his performance, “Hae-in-a!”
For a second, it was Hyun-woo the fans saw and heard onstage. “You might want to drink some water first,” he teased the fans who were screaming their heads out. “But when I did that, I was trying to express anger, sorrow, worry,” he said.
The segment in which Soo-hyun had to learn Tagalog phrases was particularly hilarious because the actor appeared confused the whole time. The word “omsim,” a slang for “mismo” or “exactly,” may have sounded like a chant to him, because he started to hum the word.
“Is it a funny word? But you’re laughing!” he said. He then made a wild guess that missed the target by a mile: “Is it ‘tonkatsu?’”
Soo-hyun couldn’t really grasp how “charot” and “eme lang” are used. But he did get a kick out of saying, “Charot!” with matching limp wrist. “That was how he did it!” he said pointing at the person who did the gesture. He surmised that “charot” was probably similar to the Korean word, “dwaesseo,” or “enough or forget it.”
Still, the word amused Soo-hyun, so much so that it became his recurring joke for the rest of the night. But more than anything else, it was his childlike giddiness and genuine joy that truly lit the stage up.
He made sure to wave and ask every section of the Big Dome how they were doing. He did aegyo poses while taking photos with lucky fans caught by the roving camera. He watched intently and reacted lovingly whenever video messages from fans were played.
During the games, he huddled and joked around with the contestants, many of whom gaped at Soo-hyun in disbelief. Special necklaces were given as prizes to the game winners. And they couldn’t help but shriek and jump up and down when Soo-hyun himself handed them out.
Aside from such segments, Soo-hyun also regaled the audience with song numbers, including “Love You with All My Heart,” “All of Me,” “Someone You Loved” and “Way Home.” While he can carry a tune and is a determined performer, he knew his vocals weren’t perfect.
His mistakes didn’t deter him from enjoying himself onstage. He even poked fun at himself after.
“When I was singing, I was sure I got out of it,” jested Soo-hyun, who also performed one of his staples, the yodel song, “She Taught Me to Yodel.” He yelped and made high-pitched noises. He let out guttural sounds while making faces and left everyone in stitches.
Soo-hyun went to the fan meeting thinking about entertaining the fans. But in the end, it was he who was entertained.
“Everyone, from the start of the show to the end, was smiling. It made me feel like I wanted to enjoy the show as well. I wanted to give you guys a lot of laughs and enjoyment, but it seems I was the one who enjoyed and laughed more in the show,” he said.
Drama comeback
“Whenever I’m feeling tired and need some strength, I will remember all these beautiful faces and the support from all of you, guys,” Soo-hyun added.
Before ending the show, presented by Wilbros Live, Soo-hyun gave the fans something to look forward to. “Next month, I will start shooting a new drama. I will do my best and put a lot of effort,” he said. “This year, I think I will be coming back to see you once again.”
Amid a thick rain of confetti, Soo-hyun, turning emotional once more, waved goodbye and reminded everyone: “Stay healthy and smile a lot!”
