[PHILIPPINES] Smiles, sunsets, and secrets: Park Jihoon charms the press prior to First Edition in Manila

With a literally cheeky and swoon-worthy smile, former Wanna One member and Produce 101 Season 2 resident wink boy Park Jihoon adorably teased the members of the media after he was asked to give a snippet of his upcoming debut song during the press conference held the morning of his first solo fan meeting in Manila, March 15th.

“It’s a secret for now, so please wait for it,” Jihoon told the press as he cutely flipped his hands in front of his face, a gesture which naturally received the cooing of those in attendance—their request already forgotten because of the sudden aegyo from Jihoon.

The 20-year old idol (Korean age) is expected to finally have his solo debut on March 26th this year, after he officially parted ways with his fellow members of idol project group Wanna One last December.

His MAYs—or what his loyal fans are called—have been waiting for Jihoon’s debut since the disbandment, and Jihoon promised to update them about his debut as much as he can through social media.

After greeting the members of the press with a very cute “Kumusta po~”, a variety of questions—ranging from his personal favourites to his current and future career—was thrown to Jihoon by the press conference host Kring Kim—inquiries which the idol diligently answered with a staple kind and genuine smile on his face.

The first few questions were about his favorites and preferences. Jihoon was asked to choose one food he could eat for the rest of his life, and he said that it would be chicken breast. (It’s uncertain if this has something to do with keeping his health checked and his famed abs intact, but we’re definitely rooting for a healthy Jihoon!)

He was also asked to describe his personality with a scent, and he straightforwardly answered “musky,” or a strong-smelling fragrance which he thought fit his claims of being manly the best.

Speaking of manly, members of the press were also curious as to how his fashion style is these days—it is a hot topic for both Jihoon and his MAYs (he has a reputation in this field from way back, since his PD101 days). Jihoon said he still prefers to wear comfy clothes more than anything else, but that he’s continuously working on establishing and improving his own style.

He was also asked whether he wanted to add a new entry to his long list of nicknames, but Jihoon was firm when he said he wants his fans to call him “Just Park Jihoon”. Well, there’s still a lot of time in the future to craft new nicknames for him—so for now, we’ll go with “Just Park Jihoon”!

Jihoon is also known to be a gamer—he’s the official maknae of the group ‘We’re The Strongest Idols’. It is composed of Korean idols who enjoy gaming a lot, including BTOB’s Eunkwang, BTS’ Jin, VIXX’ Ken, and B.A.P.’s Youngjae.

And so when asked if there is a drama series or movie he recently enjoyed and would recommend to fans, Jihoon naturally picked Memories of Alhambra, the recent augmented-reality game-themed drama of Park Shin-hye and Hyunbin.

Speaking of dramas, everyone is curious about what’s in store for Jihoon as an actor. Unknown to many non-Wannables, Jihoon first debuted as a child actor in 2006 with hit Korean drama Jumong—way before he was introduced as Maroo Entertainment’s trainee in PD 101 S2.

Many of his fans have been anticipating for his comeback as an actor, and it seems like it will be happening in the very near future as he has already been in talks to star as the lead role of a new JTBC drama.

In relation to this, Jihoon said that he is looking forward to acting again and that he wants to try different roles and genres which he thinks would suit him and would help him improve his craft.

When asked who his role model is among the many actors of today, he said he couldn’t choose just one because all of them are worth looking up to.

Meeting his Filipino MAYs

Jihoon expressed how excited he was to meet his Filipino fans again.

He especially remembered his Filo MAYs’ smiles—there was a certain glint of fondness when he said that if there’s one thing that sets Filipino MAYs apart from others, it would be their beautiful smiles.

He also shared how it was so regretful for him to not have been able to witness the Philippines’ sunset the last time he visited the country with his fellow Wanna One members. “I heard Philippines’ sunset is beautiful,” Jihoon said in Korean, which was followed by him expressing his strong desire to see the view himself this time around.

However, more than the sunset, there is definitely one thing he’s looking forward to the most for his second visit to the Philippines—his Filipino MAYs! He said he’s very excited to see what his fans have prepared for him for his fan meeting and that he also has a surprise gift especially prepared for his Filipino MAYs, to be revealed during the night’s event.

When asked what Filipino phrase he knows best, he unhesitatingly uttered: “Mahal ko kayo.”

What’s ahead for Park Jihoon

As his solo debut is really just a few days away from now, Jihoon shared that he had prepared a lot for it—even flying all the way to Prague to shoot the music video, a detailed effort that should not go unrecognized—and that everyone can look forward to it.

Although the concept is still a secret for now, he asked his MAYs to patiently wait for it and support it wholeheartedly. He confessed that he actually thought going solo is difficult, but he assured everyone that he would do his best to always try to improve his craft and his musicality.

He also segued into asking his MAYs to give their support to his fellow Wanna One members as well—with them debuting on their own or in a group one by one. Jihoon revealed that the members are still in constant communication with each other through a group chat, where they cheer each other on and discuss future collaborations and features. That’s surely something to look forward to!

As for the new batch of trainees who will be joining the new season of Produce 101, Jihoon—as someone who can be considered a PD 101 senior by now—gave a heartfelt advice to those who would be participating next in the show. He tells them to always practice (for practice definitely makes perfect), and to make sure to find and use their own, true colors in their performances.

Jihoon soon left the press conference after a final photo opportunity for the media, to finally be able to prepare for his big night at the Big Dome.

We would like to thank Pulp Live World for letting us cover this event. See more photos HERE.

Written by: Erin
Photos by: Yaine

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