South Korean heartthrob Ahn Hyo Seop was most grateful for the opportunity to meet his Filipino fans post-pandemic.
Over the weekend, Hyo Seop traveled to Manila for his fan meet titled
The gathering took place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, October 8, 2023.
Ahead of the event, Hyo Seop engaged with the local press, discussing his visit at a press conference held on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
The 28-year-old actor shared this was his inaugural visit to Manila, “It’s actually my first time to come here in the Philippines and I’m really excited.
“Actually, the past few years, I’ve been very busy due to different shoots for different projects.
“So there were a lot of things that I really wanted to do [and] really wanted to try.
“But through this opportunity, I’m really happy that I got to visit the Philippines as well.”
Read: ‘Business Proposal’ star Kim Se Jeong moved to tears during Manila fan meet
Working in Korea, Hyo Seop admitted he sometimes had doubts about having a fan base.
But his experience in Manila assured him he had the love and support of his fans everywhere else.
In his words, “While I was in Korea, while I was just working, I was actually thinking, ‘Do my fans really exist?’
“But through this fan meet, I was able to really see clearly with my eyes the great love-filled heart of our fans from different countries, and I really felt it.
“Finally, I was able to come to the Philippines, and I want to make sure to have a great time here as well.
“And my next stop will be in Japan, and that will be the concluding tour stop for me.”
AHN HYO SEOP: RIGHT HERE AND NOW
During the press conference, Hyo Seop mentioned his active involvement in the fan meet tour’s pre-production, revealing he was the one who conceived the theme “Here and Now” for the event.
The theme expressed Hyo Seop’s desire to make the most of his fan meet in the country.
He said, “So actually, I really took time to think about the concept of our fan meet. So the main concept or the title of our fan meet became ‘Here and Now.’
“We used the title ‘Here and Now’ thinking about the idea that the most time you can feel happiness is right here and right now.
“That’s why you have to make most of the time right here, right now.”
Hyo Seop shared his enthusiasm for performing his stage numbers in front of his fans.
However, above all, he emphasized that meeting his fans was the most significant aspect he was eagerly anticipating.
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“I’m pretty sure through the social media, a lot of you watch different videos about my fan meet. I get to sing and dance.
“And the most important moment for me is to be able to see my fans face-to-face and to talk to them.”
AHN HYO SEOP: ABOUT FASHION
Expressing his appreciation to Bench/ for bringing the event to life, Hyo Seop then discussed his personal style, which aligns well with the brand.
He said, “First of all, it was a great honor for me to be a #Benchsetter for a brand with such a deep history.
“And the different outfits that I was able to try through this project is really matching also my preferences, so I think it made me have a great chemistry with this brand too.”
Outside of the red-carpet events, Hyo Seop mentioned his penchant for the relaxed look of comfortable clothes.
He said, “I usually like to wear comfortable clothes. So that is why in my everyday life, I wear Bench clothing at home and sometimes when I get to go out, I wear Bench pieces too.
“And of course, I also think that something that I wear should be comfortable for me, for the people that see me to feel the comfort too. That’s why I love wearing Bench too.”
He added, “During our shoot, we had this very comfortable baseball jacket. I really like that clothing, so I really remember it.
“And I think that there are a lot of various designs and t-shirts in Bench. And I think that allows me to style it in different ways according to my personal preferences.”
QUESTION AND ANSWER:
Hyo Seop engaged with the press, discussing his acting career and sharing insights into his process. Below are the questions posed and his responses, translated into English.
Q: Could you walk us through your process in preparing for a role, especially if it’s challenging? Like, how Ahn Hyo Seop got into his character?
AHN HYO SEOP (AHS): “Whenever I try a new role, I first try to think of the history of the character, beginning from his past up to the present.
“I also try to use this as an opportunity to calculate how this person came to be, to have this character at the present.
“And I think this allows me to really apply it in different ways like walk… it changes the way I walk, it changes the way I look at people, being into the character.
“And after getting into the character, I try to think about the physical appearance of how this character would look like.
“And I think this is possible through the help of the director, and the different makeup team, and the other staff, too.”
Q: What are the roles you haven’t taken on yet and wishes to play in the future?
AHS: “Actually there are a lot of roles that I haven’t been able to try yet, so I can’t say specifically which one I want to try.
“But I think I have a thought that I want to try roles that suit my current age. So I think student roles are not for me anymore.
“And if we see that I get older, I can try action roles too, or other genres too. But of course, regardless of the genre, I want to try any role.”
Q: Business Proposal received widespread acclaim. What drew you to this particular role, and what challenges did you face while portraying your role?
AHS: “When I first received the script, I sat down and at that moment I read the whole script right away.
“And I got to feel while reading the script that I was really into the story.
“And it made me think that I hope the people through this project will be able to feel the happiness inside the project, and also forget about the different worries that they are going through in life.
“Well, when we really began to shoot, the difficulty that I went through was that my character should be very proud, should have high pride, [very] arrogant.
“So the character itself should very arrogant, I had to boast about myself so… this wasn’t very easy for me.
“But as time went by, I think I naturally got used to it.”
Q: Can you give some insights into your experience working on your latest project A Time Called You?
AHS: “A Time Called You really gave me a headache because I had to go back and forth in my age range from my teens to my 20s, my 30s into my 40s.
“If I won’t be able to make a clear or specific timeline about myself in my head, I myself would be confused of what I’m doing.
“Not only for me, but also for the other cast members. They had to do the same process of going through the time slips.
“So think there were a lot of times that me, the directors, and other cast members, there were times that we have to review or study what we have to do.
“So from time to time that I’m doing a scene, I get to think for myself why I’m doing this. I would go back to my room and review why I’m like that.”
Q: Of all the characters you’ve played so far, which one do you think came closest to defining you?
AHS: “I can see that the different roles that I’ve tried show a different part of who I am.
“I think if I would be specific it would be my role as Seo Woo Jin. Because when I first was introduced to the character Seo Woo Jin, I noticed that the character itself was very negative, pessimist, doesn’t have high hopes about the world.
“But from Woo Jin who was like that, when he was able to be a ‘romantic doctor,’ he was able to change just like that, I feel that through my process of meeting different staff while shooting Romantic Doctor, it also allowed myself to grow.
“And also in reality, after this show has ended, it changed me to become a more optimistic person and [make me] able to see the world in a beautiful perspective, too.
“That’s why I’m very thankful for this project, too, and also this is one of the projects that I really take dear in my heart.”
Q: As an actor, what is your favorite film genre?
AHS: “I don’t think I can be specific about it. Whenever I choose a new project or a new piece, I think regardless of the genre, I think and try to feel if this project itself pulls me in.
“That’s why I think that whatever project that I’m working on right now, I can see that this would be my favorite genre at the moment.
“But I think the romantic comedy show through Business Proposal was very fun, too. And right now, I think that I would love to try another romantic comedy project.”
Q: Your fan base extends globally. How do you feel about the international reception of your work?
AHS: “First of all, I’m really thankful that I’m in a generation where K-contents can be distributed worldwide.
“And I think it’s a very thankful thing to see that we are able to express the different cultures and the different practices in different countries through different content.
“That’s why the love that I receive from my fans, of course, is very amazing for me. And also, I really don’t know how to feel about this, but I’m really thankful to all the love.
“But one thing for sure is, while seeing this, it makes me realize that I have to do more projects, happier projects, so that I can be able to also share this happiness with a lot more people.”
Q: How would you describe yourself as an actor?
AHS: “I think this is a very difficult question to answer, because whatever I do, even though I try my best, I try my best at all, it seems like I cannot be satisfied of what I was able to do.
“But one thing I can promise as an actor is that I will acknowledge this shortcoming of mine and also use this as a motivation to not stay contented, but to try my best always.
“And I think being an actor itself gives you a life of continuous learning, where you have to continuously learn something, continuously absorb something.
“So I can say that me as an actor, as a person living the life of an actor, I will make sure to continuously move forward.”
Q: Is there anything new that you would like try in your career?
AHS: “If we were to talk about art, I think there are a lot of different ways to express art. Let’s see, for example, through my acting or through music too.
“That’s why I also have the heart to think of being able to express my positive thoughts, my positive energy to other people by musically expressing it.
“Well, I do not have a specific plan, but I’m sure it’s going to come someday.”
Q: What keeps you grounded?
AHS: “I think myself, I myself allows me to be humble. It’s actually very similar to what I said in the previous question.
“I noticed that all my efforts, whatever I do, I wasn’t satisfied. It looked very short. So seeing myself incomplete and imperfect, I think this allows me to realize that I cannot be perfect in this type of thing, so it allows me to continue to be humble.
“And I think this also gives me the heart to continuously learn.”
Q: What brings so much joy to a guy like Ahn Hyo Seop?
AHS: “While going through my different fan meets, I felt something.
“While I was able to see my fans and their faces in comfort and happiness, it made me think, maybe I’m doing something good right now.
“I think the moments that the love our fans gave to me through their happy and comfortable faces, and the love that I would love to give to them, when these two different loves touched together and connected, I cannot express how happy I was through this.
“It’s not just me receiving the love, but being able to form this love where it is done together, I think we can say it was very harmonious.
“And I think that allows me to say that love keeps me happy.”
Q: What is the most rewarding thing to you as an actor?
AHS: “It’s a very general question, so it’s very hard to answer right away. But sometimes I receive messages or I receive mail from my office.
“Sometimes I receive messages from fans saying that, through me the love, the ability to be able to love sparked again inside of them.
“The truth that I’m able to influence even just one person is something that I’m really grateful of.
“So for me, being able to be the source of happiness and love to a lot of people and being also a stimulant for them, it’s really heartwarming for me.
“And I think this also allows me to find myself.”
Hyo Seop will be back in Manila this December 14, 2023, for the 2023 Asia Artist Awards happening at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
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