‘Halo-halo,’ ‘kwek-kwek’ and other things Hwang In-youp misses
The Korean actor, who studied in Davao 10 years ago, returns to meet his Filipino fans
Imagine this: Ten years ago, a would-be South Korean actor was “making tusok-tusok the kwek-kwek” in the streets of Davao. He loved the taste of deep-fried quail eggs coated with orange batter so much that it is still one of his favorite foods from the Philippines after all these years.
That actor is Hwang In-youp and, last Sunday, the “True Beauty” and “Why Her” star revealed that he misses kwekkwek. Hwang is an ambassador for the cosmetic brand BYS. A press conference was held at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel before his fan meet at Kia Theater on the same day.
Foodie
It was Hwang’s first time to visit the country after attending school in the Philippines in 2012. This is why a lot of people were curious about what he missed the most about living here.
Most of the things on his list are related to food. He mentioned two fast-food chains as places he remembered the most about the Philippines. He mentioned wanting to eat halo-halo again.
He said he loves pineapple the most and thinks it is the most delicious fruit. He enjoyed a lot of fresh fruits when he was here, but he also loved dried mangoes.
“When my friends found out that I was going to the Philippines, they asked me if I could bring them back some dried mangoes,” he said.
But there is one, he said, that he would not be able to eat again, unless he visits his former tutor.
“My English teacher used to make me a mango ref cake. I would put it in the fridge and enjoy some every day. I really miss that,” he said.
Skin-care regimen
Hwang has a simple grooming routine, but he is very strict in following it.
When he was asked to pick just one product from the Skin by BYS line, he demurred. He said that when there is a skincare system presented to you, you have to follow all the steps and not just pick one. Following a regimen is important to get the kind of skin you want, he added.
“I take my showers at night. I make sure that I finish with cold water on the face and put on a lot of lip balm,” he said. He considers lip balm one of his essentials because the seasons in South Korea could be drying on the lips.
“In a country like the Philippines, where it’s pretty hot and humid, you don’t need as much,” he said.
Hwang said that in his free time, he likes to drive around at night to enjoy the view.
“I like to get in a car at night and take a drive around. Put on some music. I do this on my own,” he said.
He was asked what kind of roles he wants to do in the future. Hwang said that instead of roles, he prefers to explore more genres in the future.
“As you all know, it hasn’t been that long since I debuted, so the focus is not so much on what I’d like to portray, but what genre I would like to explore. I really want to show my skills as an actor first more than anything,” he said.