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Park Seo-joon wants you to start moving
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Park Seo-joon wants you to start moving

A shy wave, a slight bow, his hands smoothing out the back of his pants. With just those three gestures, the room belonged to Park Seo-joon.

Most days, celebrities are welcomed with nothing more than polite applause at media conferences. This day wasn’t one of those. Not a few journalists and select guests found themselves wrestling with their inner fan, but inevitably lost—squealing and cheering with their phones held aloft.

The fan meeting dubbed “Fit for Any Role,” for which he flew to Manila last June 12, wouldn’t start until later that evening at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, but it might as well have already kicked off right here at the media call.

But while the sight of this tall and lean figure had the crowd losing its cool, the Korean actor naturally kept his. His voice was deep and calm. He was thoughtful, if a bit economical with words, but never so much as to be humorless.

Park Seo-joon

“I feel like an athlete,” he quipped upon realizing that the pre-approved questions, true to the event’s theme, leaned toward health and wellness.

The timing, though, was just a touch off. The 36‑year‑old has lost a fair amount of weight for a role he’s currently working on. He didn’t specify for which series exactly, but signs point to “Waiting for Gyeong-do”—an upcoming rom-com where he plays an entertainment reporter who gets reunited with his ex as he investigates a high-profile scandal involving the latter.

‘Just start moving’

The irony wasn’t lost on him. Park seemed a little apologetic, even, that he couldn’t show up as the buff heartthrob people might anticipate at an event centered around fitness. On any given day, he starts his day with a 30-minute stretch, followed by 40 minutes of lifting weights, before lacing up for a five-kilometer run.

Now he’s neck deep in the grind. But no matter how hectic his schedule gets, he knows he can’t afford to give up exercise altogether. You see, he still wants to make good on his dream of growing old as a “cool man,” he jokingly said.

“To be honest, I haven’t had much time to maintain a daily routine. But whenever I’m free, I try my best to work out even if it’s just for 30 minutes, doing either calisthenics or weights,” Park shared through an interpreter, when asked by Lifestyle about how he juggles work with fitness.

But if there’s one thing he has learned on his fitness journey so far, it’s that a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body—and they both work hand in hand. He knows there are few greater hurdles on the road to wellness than simply taking that first step. So for those struggling, Park has this piece of advice: “Just start moving.”

Park Seo-joon takes a lucky fan on a two-minute date.

It doesn’t have to be anything drastic or intense right away. Even walking counts—anything that keeps the muscles active and blood flowing. “I always hear people say they want to start working out but never get around to it,” he said. “But just move… Don’t overthink it. Soon, you’ll see results and feel the satisfaction that comes with working out.”

This may sound cliché, but more than exercise or a proper diet, Park believes in the power of optimism or having a “bright mind” as a key to maintaining overall health. Simply put: Be happy. His most dependable source? His fans, of course. And for now, that more than does the trick. “With your love here right now,” he said, “I’m happy.”

“I feel most connected with my fans when they understand or relate to all the emotions I intended to convey with my new projects,” he added.

Like diesel

With hit series like “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” and “Fight for My Way” under his belt, Park was already a major star when he first visited the Philippines in 2019. Four years later, he returned as an even bigger one, catapulted to international fame by the massive success of “Itaewon Class.” This time, he was back not only as a K-drama leading man, but as a bona fide film star, having made his Hollywood debut in “The Marvels.”

At the airport the night prior, Park received a “grand welcome” from fans—a sight that took him a few years back, to a time when he never imagined that Korean content, specifically K-dramas, would have this kind of global reach. “It’s the reason I’m able to continue working and share my universe with different people,” he said.

Like his previous outings, this fan meeting—produced by Wilbros Live and Century Tuna—was his way of thanking and deepening his bond with his Filipino fans.

Park Seo-joon wraps a blanket around a lucky fan.

Park, if you’ll allow the metaphor, is like diesel; he takes a little while to warm up. But the moment he does, his calm, seemingly unflappable countenance eventually gives way to warmth and willingness to engage. It didn’t hurt that he was met by an onslaught of deafening cheers when he finally emerged onstage.

All the screaming made him crack a smile. The occasional bouts of hysteria, he watched with amusement—and maybe a hint of bemusement. He cheekily cupped a hand to his ear, daring the crowd to crank the decibels up several notches. And when someone unleashed a shriek that pierced through the cacophony, laughter—for a split second—almost got the better of him.

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Did someone say cardio? Because Park sure got his fans’ hearts racing.

By the time he played games with lucky fans, he had already visibly loosened up. He judged a match of Hep Hep Hurray, with squats, lunges, and jumps in place of usual actions. He had no qualms doing the pose-mirroring game. He prepared a nostalgic childhood snack—rice, kimchi, and tuna wrapped in seaweed—together with special guest Anne Curtis.

The luckiest of them all

But don’t expect him to break into song or dance—that’s not his style. The closest we got to seeing him so animated was during a tense round of Pinoy Henyo, where he pumped his fists in triumph when he guessed correctly and threw his head back in frustration when he didn’t. Or was it?

In what turned out to be one of the night’s highlights, he took a female fan—the luckiest of them all—on a two-minute date that was equal parts chaotic and heartwarming. They scribbled notes at a picnic table, leaning close to hear each other over the noise. And as they pretended to watch fireworks under the night sky, Park wrapped a blanket around the giddy fan, prompting the lady in front of us to groan: “Sana all!”

Park Seo-joon

Park is not one to hand out fanservice or declarations of affection at every turn. So in the rare moments he returned the fans’ sentiment with an “I love you, too,” bedlam ensued. At one point, he even requested that the house lights get turned on—the better to see everyone’s faces.

And perhaps this is where his appeal lies. On screen, he often plays a charismatic alpha: hilariously self-absorbed as Lee Young-jun; loud and scrappy as Ko Dong-man. But then you see him in person and realize that he’s none of those things—at least not in the way he lets on. Which is why every hint of delight, every hug he gave, and every loving word uttered feels genuine or earned, even.

“I’m very happy to see you all. Our time was short, but I’m very happy… Meeting you tonight gives me energy. Now I can go back and work harder,” said Park, who closed the night with a gentle blow of a kiss under a thick rain of confetti.

Clearly, just like he said, happiness is fuel—something that will hopefully keep both him and his fans going as they return to their respective lives… or maybe until the next fan meeting.

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