Damsel to the rescue

Damsel to the rescue

South Korean actress-host Song Ji Hyo is an energetic person.

Waltzing into a conference room at a hotel on Thursday afternoon, the 32-year-old is bright-eyed and bushy- tailed, despite touching down in Singapore from Seoul just hours ago.

And she is game for media interviews, with the same can-do spirit she displays in the face of daunting challenges on popular variety show Running Man, which she co-hosts regularly.

Right now, her mission is to promote her latest Korean drama Emergency Couple.

So eager is she to do it that, at one point in the half-hour interview when her co-star Choi Jin Hyuk is at a loss for words, she jumps in to answer for him.

Asked to recall a mischievous moment on the set, Choi, 28, draws a blank. At this, unflappable Song sails in like a damsel in shining armour to save the day.

She says: "There was a particular scene that his character has to show aegyo. Jin Hyuk could do it so easily because he has that mischievous side." Aegyo is a Korean term that means acting cute.

Choi plays headstrong Oh Chang Min in the series currently airing on cable's Channel M, while Song plays his feisty love interest Oh Jin Hee. The two are a squabbling divorced couple, whose paths cross years after they split when they become medical interns at a hospital emergency room.

Did acting in the show give them any insights into how to maintain a romantic relationship?

Song cheekily replies that the secret is in "skinship", a common Korean term for "physical touch". She covers her mouth and giggles like a schoolgirl at the word.

Choi, meanwhile, states seriously that one should not use harsh words during a heated argument.

Perhaps, four years on variety show Running Man has honed her ability to ad-lib and think on her feet. The show has its share of unscripted moments as the seven hosts and their guests aim to outwit, outplay and outlast one another in a series of tasks.

The varying tasks on each week's episodes are meant to test one's wit and physical ability, ranging from obstacle courses to undercover missions. Sometimes, hosts are scattered in deserted areas and made to sign autographs.

The gung-ho Song was once seen as a pretty face, with roles in hit idol drama Princess Hours (2006) and horror movie Wishing Stairs (2003).

It was only after she joined Running Man in 2010 that she was propelled to fame beyond her native country. For her performance on the variety show, she went on to win the High Excellence Award for a female entertainer at the South Korean television station's SBS Entertainment Awards last year.

Thanks to the popularity of Running Man, the cast are mobbed whenever they go overseas for filming or fan meets, including Bangkok, Macau and at last October's fan meet in Singapore.

During their visit here, 2,000 fans turned up at a public fan meet with Song and Choi on Thursday at Square 2 shopping mall in Novena. Last night, they were set to attend a ticketed Emergency Couple fan meet at Kallang Theatre.

The amiable host is beloved by fans for her unpretentious, random antics.

She once fell asleep on top of a pile of building blocks on Running Man, reportedly exhausted from filming Emergency Couple at the same time, according to entertainment site allkpop.

Song has not forgotten her Running Man roots, for the show has boosted her popularity in the region after it began airing in 2010.

She rang her Running Man co-host Gary Kang to ask him to make a cameo appearance in Emergency Couple. The pair are constantly teased on the game show for their obvious on-screen chemistry and mutual attraction, which has earned them the nickname, The Monday Couple. Running Man is reportedly filmed on Mondays.

She says: "I thought it would be fun to get Gary involved. When I asked him to help out, he was very accommodating and willing to take on the role. I'm very thankful for that."

In the short scene in Emergency Couple, Kang plays a substitute driver who drives a drunk Jin Hee home.

His parting shot? "I have a feeling that I'll see you on Monday", a reference to the nickname for their "pairing" in Running Man.

The interview here draws to a close, and Choi and Song prepare for their appearance at Square 2. Their schedule here is packed, but Song smiles serenely throughout the interview.

Before leaving the room, she hands this reporter a bottle of water, a thoughtful gesture. Charming and considerate? No wonder she is a runaway hit.

This article was published on May 17 in The Straits Times.

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