For many Singaporean Bingos (official fanclub name for Park Eun-bin), November 12 2022 is a day they will never forget. From customised tote-bags, singing performances and live commentary on her famous drama scenes, South Korean actress Park Eun-bin's fan meeting was jam-packed with opportunities for fans to get to know their idol on a more intimate level.
"Nice to meet you, lah!" The 30-year-old female celebrity affectionately greeted her fans. The loud echo of cheers that followed and the sight of Capitol Theatre being completely filled up by local and international fans are clear testaments to her wild popularity in Southeast Asia.
Indeed, Park Eun-bin shot to fame after her powerful portrayal of a genius autistic lawyer in the famous Netflix drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo. However, her 24 years of acting experience as a child actress in the Korean entertainment industry has not gone unnoticed and she has steadily grown a cult following of fans from dramas such as Hot Stove League, Age of Youth, Do You Like Brahms and The King's Affection.
Park kicked off the fan-meet with a cheerful performance of "Hello", a Korean song originally sung by Park Hye-Kyung and covered by Red Velvet's Joy. Her enthusiasm hyped up the crowd significantly as the emcee segued into the games segment, which allowed the audience to get to know Park better. Fans participated actively in the quiz by guessing their idol's preferences in a series of questions. For example, does Park Eun-bin prefer bringing fans to the theme park or a water park for a date? Would she rather use blank papers or lined ones? (P.S. the answer to the former is theme park, because water parks "reveal too much!" and the response to the latter is blank paper, because Park loves to brainstorm ideas not just through words, but also through doodles).
Subsequently, fans who got the wrong answers would be eliminated by sitting down. The final three lucky fans who remained standing were rewarded with customised tote bags, which were personally designed by Park Eun-bin herself on the spot.
Just like her preference for blank papers and the blank canvas of the tote bags which were eventually filled up with Park's adorable drawings, the title of this fan-meet, "Binkan" is inspired by the concept of "blank space", as the idol wishes to fill up the empty pages with fond memories together with her fans. However, Park Eun-bin explains that the word "Bin" is also a word-play on her name, and can be interpreted as "shining". Hence, she wishes that her Binkan tour will serve as a "shining space" for her fans to have fun and enjoy to their heart's content.
Well, 'shining' is definitely an apt adjective to describe the idol, who returned for the second half of her fan-meet in a dazzling bright pink top and baby blue chiffon skirt that glittered as she seranaded the audience with a touching rendition of her Extraordinary Attorney Woo OST single, "The Blue Night of Jeju Island".
Of course, even though fans were eager to see Park show off her multi-talented sides, they were also expecting to know more about her acting process, experiences and advice. Hence, quizzes, drawings and live singing aside, the highlight of the fan-meet was undoubtedly the candid chat that Park Eun-bin had with the emcee and her fans as they revisited fan-favourite clips of various drama scenes involving the actress herself.
While the scenes were mostly melancholic and emotional in nature, Park diffused the tension with her hilarious English comments, such as "I told you!" and "No, man!" in response to a sob scene featuring her co-star Rowoon in their hit historical drama The King's Affection.
Park also revealed some exciting behind-the-scenes details about her dramas, such as the fact that the blood she coughed out was actually a mixture of coffee and syrup, which made her remark rather morbidly to a scene of her character's grave injury with "So sweet!"
The atmosphere turned cozy and warm as the 30-year-old shared some genuine and heartfelt advice to her fans. In response to a question about dreams and career paths, the actress says: "If there is something you like, be sure to protect it and pursue it all the way", ending her message with a motivational and uplifting, "Just don't give up lah!"
Park also surprised her fans with a cover of the The King's Affection's OST, "If I", an unexpected special performance that sent both fans who were present in the fan-meet and online fans in an uproar. She ended the fan-meet on a high note by enthusiastically singing the local folk-song "Sunny Island".
Singaporean Bingos wished Park Eun-bin well with a bouquet of flowers, a video dedication and a fan-banner surprise, which definitely made a lasting impression on the idol, who subsequently posted an Instagram image featuring the banner and the beautiful bouquet. Despite the language barrier, Park's sincerity, her fandom's adoring support and the thoughtful gestures demonstrated for each other have undoubtedly transcended barriers and made this night a shining moment that everyone will never forget.
Special thanks to Viu for inviting KpopStarz to cover 'Eun-Bin Note: Binkan Live in Singapore'. Writer: Jean Leong
