Sandara Park Credits the Philippines for Shaping Who She Is
Sandara Park says the Philippines raised her.
The former 2NE1 member said Filipinos loved her wholeheartedly when she was young, before she knew anything about showbiz and before she had any friends. “The Philippines raised me and changed my life,” she said. Then she joked that she might have been Filipina in a past life.
She moved from Busan to the Philippines in 1994, at age 10, because of her father’s business and the chance at a better life. She learned Tagalog there. The early years were quiet. She has said she barely spoke for a long stretch after the move because of the language barrier and her shyness.
From shy kid to Pambansang Krung-Krung
In 2004, she joined the talent search Star Circle Quest and became a household name. She is affectionately known as Pambansang Krung-Krung. Her first EP, Sandara, included the hit “In or Out.”
She has said the fans and friends she made in those years are why the Philippines became a second home. She left for South Korea in 2007 and debuted with 2NE1 in 2009.
The accent she used to hide
Sandara was once embarrassed by her Filipino English accent. After 2NE1’s overseas tour, people told her it sounded cool, and she got more confident about it.
Band music from her Manila years stayed with her too. In May, she said it shaped her sound and teased a rock-leaning style she calls “Sandarock.”
She keeps coming back
In December 2024, she played a two-night Manila concert with CL, Park Bom, and Minzy on the Welcome Back tour. On October 26, 2025, she performed 2NE1 hits and “In or Out” at a basketball exhibition game in Pasay. In a post about that trip, she told Filipinos “Pero mas mahal ko kayo!” That means she loves them more.
The next month, she was announced as the headliner of a K-pop concert at the Kalimudan Festival in Sultan Kudarat, her first visit to the province in 18 years. She has also posted beach photos from Bohol. In April 2026, she shared Manila photos with friends and captioned them “I’m home.”
In June 2026, South Korea’s Overseas Koreans Agency named her a 2026 goodwill ambassador. The agency cited her years in the Philippines and her bond with both Korean expats and Filipino fans.
