Singapore holds special meaning for K-drama actor Hwang In-youp

After more than a year away, South Korean star Hwang In-youp was welcomed back to Singapore by hundreds of screaming fans when he showed up at Ion Orchard on Tuesday evening. 

He was attending the Armani Make-up Lab cosmetics pop-up, which is on till Monday, at the mall’s Atrium Level 1.

In an interview with The Straits Times at Hilton Singapore Orchard ahead of his public appearance, Hwang says Singapore is very meaningful to him.

The True Beauty (2020 to 2021) heart-throb held his first overseas fan meeting at Capitol Theatre in July 2022.

“I felt really grateful that even far away from South Korea, in a place like Singapore, there are people who love me,” says the 32-year-old actor. 

His last trip here gave him plenty of fond memories of the city, from its skyscrapers to thrilling theme-park rides.

He says: “I loved Singapore’s night-time scenery, I had a lot of fun looking at the skyline. The food was also amazing. Chilli crab was so good – everyone told me I had to have it. I also went to Universal Studios Singapore and the roller-coaster rides there are scarier than the ones in South Korea. That was so much fun.”

Hwang, who began his career as a fashion model, has done a variety of roles. They range from a bad boy with a good heart in True Beauty to a studious high-school student in The Sound Of Magic (2022).

His first venture into variety with Young Actors’ Retreat (2022) showed yet another side of him. 

Young Actors’ Retreat, planned by director Kim Seong-yoon, gathered cast members from three of his dramas – Love In The Moonlight (2016), Itaewon Class (2020) and The Sound Of Magic – for a three-day-two-night getaway.

“This was the first time I could observe my performance outside a drama, and it felt very alien to me. I wasn’t used to it. I also felt a little shy and embarrassed. I couldn’t watch myself sometimes. I’d be wondering: ‘What am I doing over there?’”

The usually cool Hwang failed at word-guessing games and showed his timid side during a haunted-house escape. His utter shock when he was sent flying into a pool by a propulsive chair was another highlight of the show. 

But the actor does not think that he flopped in the games.

He says: “People focused so much on how scared I was in the haunted house that they thought I was bad at the game, but I would like to make a strong rebuttal that I was, in fact, the fastest to get through it.”

Memorable variety stint aside, Hwang’s primary focus remains on acting.

One of his first major roles was in the period series The Tale Of Nokdu (2019), where he played the loyal warrior to a prince. 

He says: “I find it amazing that Singaporean audiences resonate with and find Korean period dramas interesting.”

Since then, he has yet to take on another period role, but not for lack of enthusiasm.

“When you do a period piece, you get to see beautiful natural scenery and traditional Korean buildings and settings that you might not usually have a chance to see, so I’m more than happy to do one again,” he says. 

Meanwhile, Hwang is hard at work preparing for a project that is still under wraps.

He says: “I can assure that it is something my fans would love, so please wait a little longer.”