MANILA - Korean actress and former ABS-CBN talent Sandara Park is back in the Philippines on a short break, amid the phenomenal success of her all-female Korean pop group 2NE1.

Park, now popularly called "Dara", arrived in the country on Thursday morning, August 13. She said she is here to see friends, family, and her fans.

"Na-miss ko kayong lahat. Sobrang happy ako dahil nandito na ako ulit (sa Pilipinas)(I missed you all. I'm so happy because im here [in the Philippines] again)," Park told ABS-CBN News.



Formerly known as the "Pambansang Krung-Krung", Park admitted that she misses her Filipino friends and fans, one of the main reasons she paid a visit to the Philippines.

The country was where she first launched a successful career in show business and it became her second home for more than 17 years.

"Sobrang saya ko. Na-miss ko sobra ang Pilipinas. Sobrang busy kami sa Korea ngayon sabi ng manager namin, sige, vacation muna kami. So ngayon pumunta ako dito. [Bakit dito?] Siyempre second home ko ang Philippines. (I'm so happy. I missed Philippines so much. We're so busy in Korea but our manager said, ok, be on a vacation for now. So I went here. [Why here?] Ofcourse, Philippines is my second home)," she said.

Park (or Sandara Bak), who was 8 years old at the time, moved to the Philippines to "seek greener pastures." In 2004, Park shot to fame when she became the first runner-up on ABS-CBN's defunct talent show Star Circle Quest (SCQ).

After appearing in a blitz of endorsements and shows, Park returned to South Korea in 2007 with her mother and siblings to "start a new life."

'I shall return'

Straight from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Park immediately went to ABS-CBN studios as a guest on the morning show "Ruffa & Ai", where she was reunited with her celebrity friends Melissa Ricks, Roxanne Guinoo, and Joross Gamboa.

After her guesting stint, Park spent time chatting with fans on ABS-CBN.com. She shared some of her experiences as one of the vocalists of 2NE1, which has come out with several Asian chart-topping songs like "Fire" and "Lollipop."

She assured all her fans that this will not be her last visit to the Philippines. "Magkikita-kita ulit tayo (We'll se each other again)," she said.

Park is planning to go to the beach with her friends, after which, she is set to go back to South Korea on Saturday, August 15.

She said that YG Entertainment, the Korean company that brought 2NE1 into being, is considering the idea of bringing the rest of the 2NE1 members (Lee Chae Rin, Park Bom, and Gong Min-ji) to the Philippines for a visit.

Source: abs-cbnNEWS
Some phrases translated by ♥…αßy—⊂Hαη…♥