MANILA -- A blonde pop star who finds pride in her Filipino connection was among the guests at President Benigno Aquino III's state dinner held Thursday in South Korea, news outfits in the country reported.
Sandara Park, one-fourth of K-pop sensation 2NE1, was spotted attending the banquet hosted by South Korean President Park Hyun-hye honoring Aquino, who is in the country for a two-day state visit.
According to Malacañang, the two leaders were to discuss "matters related to politics, defense, labor, trade and development assistance."
On Thursday, reports from a Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) news program and Newsis.com mentioned Park as among the attendees of the state dinner.
Also at the event were several businessmen, including executives of top Korean companies Kumho Asiana Group, Hanjin Heavy Industries, Lotte-Chilsung, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and Export-Import Bank of Korea.
In the video report of SBS, Park, who is known for her colorful persona, appeared to blend in at the banquet with her black blazer. Her bright choice of hair color nonetheless stood out.
Dubbed the Philippines' "pambansang krungkrung," the 28-year-old performer rose to fame in 2004, when she finished runner-up on the ABS-CBN talent search "Star Circle Quest."
After a string of film and TV projects, Park, however, decided to leave for Korea to pursue a showbiz career there. In 2009, she took on the name "Dara" as a member of 2NE1.
