2025 started just right for K-drama fans, as South Korean actor Hwang In Youp returned to the Philippines for his “In Love” fan meeting at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.
This marks the 34-year-old Korean star’s second fan meeting in the country, following his first Asia fan meeting tour in 2022.
In Youp rose to fame through his second lead role in the hit romance comedy Korean drama, “True Beauty,” where he portrayed a handsome and popular student named Han Seojun.
Despite being tough-looking, In Youp’s character is a soft person which makes Filipino viewers fall in love with him even more.
He continued to steal their hearts as he prepared tons of games and performances during his “In Love” fan meeting on Saturday, January 25.
Here are several event highlights that brought genuine happiness to his fans.
‘Flowerpot,’ ‘Starlight’ song covers
In Youp made the fans’ hearts flutter when he serenaded them with his renditions of the classic love song “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You,” originally sung by singer-songwriter George Benson.
Clad in a sleek black suit, In Youp performed the love song while sitting on a swivel chair on stage. Fans, on the other hand, were seen waving their hands and heard cheering from the crowd.
He then channeled her inner “idol Han Seojun” persona when he performed “Flowerpot” and “Starlight”—both of which were featured in “True Beauty.”
Iconic ‘Okey Dokey’ dance
Aside from singing, In Youp showcased his dance prowess at the event, grooving to his viral “Okey Dokey” dance from the 2020 rom-com K-drama.
In “True Beauty,” In Youp was caught dancing to “Okey Dokey” while wearing leopard print boxers. But in the fan meet, the actor sported leopard ears and fulfilled his fans’ request for his iconic “Okey Dokey” dance.
He got his fans excited when he took the “Ice On My Teeth” and “Igloo” dance challenges by K-pop groups ATEEZ and Kiss of Life, respectively.
Scene re-enactments
Of course, In Youp’s fan meeting wouldn’t be complete without him interacting closely with his Filipino fans, and his way to make the night memorable for them was to bring some scenes from his 2024 coming-of-age K-drama, “Family by Choice,” to life.
In the drama, In Youp portrays a popular and smart student named Kim Sanha, who grew up under the same roof as two other teenagers Yoon Juwon and Kang Haejun. While they are not related by blood, they form a bond almost similar to siblings.
The actor re-enacted his iconic scenes from the drama, this time, with several lucky fans onstage. One scene showed In Youp cupping a fan’s face and moving closer to her, eliciting screams from the crowd.
Meanwhile, other fans participated in games with In Youp, including arm wrestling.
In Youp wrapped up his Philippine visit by sharing a few snaps of him in the country on Sunday, January 26, including photos of him in a coffee shop.
