Sandara Park might be a global K-pop star, but her popularity knows no bounds in the Philippines. And her fame in the country was again proven in the variety show Idol Truck.
For starters, Sandara was already a household name in the Philippines before she was even launched as a member of girl group 2NE1.
Her showbiz career started in 2004 after joining the talent competition show Star Circle Quest. Despite finishing as a runner-up, Sandara pursued an acting career in the Philippines. She also starred in numerous Filipino films and TV projects.
Eventually, she moved back to South Korea and debuted under YG Entertainment in 2009.
Even though she’s been primarily based in South Korea, Sandara continues to visit the Philippines and even showcased how fluent she is in Tagalog.
Good morning Clark~!!! 🌞
Mayap na aldo 😀👋🏻
클락에서 아침을 #조식룩 #breakfastlook pic.twitter.com/2hBqh9Gv4h— Sandara Park (@krungy21) June 7, 2023
Filipinos’ love for Sandara
For Idol Truck, Sandara and other Korean celebrities are tasked to sell products from small and medium-sized businesses in the area they visit.
Joining Sandara in the team Philippines were WINNER’s Jinu, NU’EST’s Aron and JR, and DINDIN.
Even before they left South Korea, Sandara was already assuring her teammates that they only had to trust her for their mission. She even joked that she was the third most popular person in the Philippines, following former president Rodrigo Duterte and athlete Manny Pacquiao.
In the episode, the Korean stars were shocked that many Filipino fans were already waiting for Sandara when they arrived at the airport.
The show was filmed in Clark, Pampanga in June. Videos of the celebrities visiting local fast food chains, cafes, and markets also circulated on social media.
[VIDEO]
Dara and the cast of SBS Idol Truck buying in a juice standpic.twitter.com/Yxiey1is9C#SandaraPark #DARA #산다라박 #다라
— 🎡Dara World🎡 (@DaraWorld84) June 6, 2023
DARA filming earlier today in a neighborhood gymnasium. The cast also gave out free snacks for the local children ♥︎
📸 AR Pare#SandaraPark #산다라박 pic.twitter.com/qJjqKN0E0C
— 🌴 (@performerDARA) June 7, 2023
But what many Filipino fans find endearing is that the Korean stars also wore Filipino traditional clothing.
[@krungy21]
🔗: https://t.co/MBTZwieJqw"#아이돌트럭 #클락 #필리핀#산다라박 #딘딘 #김진우 #김종현 #아론#IdolTruck in #Clark #Philippines#SandaraPark #Dindin #Jinu #JR #Aaron 🇵🇭" pic.twitter.com/A5P0c5FnlS
— WeLoveDara (@WeLoveDara) August 20, 2023
Many of the comments under Instagram’s post wrote their admiration for the group and how much they enjoyed the show.
Featured image: Several K-pop stars went to the Philippines for ‘Idol Truck.’ Credit: Instagram/DARA