WHY WE LOVE PARK SHIN HYE

The Korean actress and Bench endorser cooks, cares for people and is quite simply nice

The way to a fan’s heart is through his or her stomach.

For her concert yesterday at Araneta Coliseum, Park Shin Hye prepared a bento box for one lucky fan, and a song from the drama “Doctor Crush” for the rest of her fans.

Park is the latest endorser of Bench. Ben Chan, chair of the fashion and lifestyle retailer, said she was the first Korean actress to be included in the brand’s lineup of celebrity endorsers.

She is the obvious choice given that she is loved by so many Filipinos. Her drama, “The Heirs,” is still top of mind among most Pinoys, especially since she played opposite another Bench endorser, Lee Min-ho.

Chan, who met Park for the first time during her press conference, revealed that the actress sent him and the Bench team some snacks after they wrapped up a shoot with her. He thought it was a nice gesture.

In an exclusive interview with To be You, Park said she liked to cook at home and invite friends over. She can prepare a lot of dishes, but her specialty is a variation of what is essentially fish adobo. She can cook a meal for as many as eight people.

She did not like to snack a lot, but she did say that she enjoyed a lot of jelly during the filming of “Doctor Crush.” It was the show’s director that supplied her with this treat.

Honesty

What was striking about Park was her honesty and sharpness. She could talk about her concerns on the current Hallyu wave (that is, the popularity of Korean entertainment around the globe) but admitted that she was not an expert on it.

She also confessed that she did not know about the Filipino brand Bench, but was glad to be chosen as one of its endorsers. She said she loved the brand’s selection of pants and actually preferred them over dresses.

Emcee Sam Oh dished a few revelations about the actress, too. She said Park wore her blue striped dress because it was a special event and she wanted to do it for members of the media. The Korean actress later changed into a black dress with pink feather prints for her one-on-one interviews.

Pretty star that she was, Park said that there were plenty of womenwho could give better beauty tips than her. Still, if she had to share any secrets, it would be her basic routine of cleansing and moisturizing.

In case you’re wondering who she listens to these days, the actress named Dean and Zico, and laughed when she let the name “Zaay-ko” roll off her tongue.

Professional and gracious all throughout her presscon and interview, she showed no signs of weariness—even if she had come straight from the airport! She only allowed herself to stretch out like a ballerina as To be You made its way out of the interview room.

Here’s another reason to love her: Last year, the actress came to Manila quietly to meet underserved children in the newly constructed Shin Hye Center in Sampaloc. Park, who opened her first center in Ghana, chose Manila as the site of her second center upon the advice of a preacher and because it was a place she could easily visit.

That’s Park Shin Hye for us. Sweet, sharp and overall nice.

—GLETTEYZAKMURING Shin Hye says she does not seek a specific role to play. Instead, she chooses roles based on the ones that speak to her. Ben Chan meets Park Shin Hye for the very first time during the press con.

Park says this off-shoulder blouse and these black pants are her favorites from the collection. She uses her popularity to help out underserved Filipino children through the Shin Hye Center in Sampaloc.