K-pop singer Sandara Park gets gig as judge on Filipino show

Sandara Park will star as a judge on Filipino audition program “Pinoy Boyband Superstar.” / Courtesy of YG Entertainment

By Lee Jin-a

Sandara Park of K-pop girl band 2NE1 will be a judge on a Filipino TV audition show, her agency said Monday.

According to YG Entertainment, the singer, 31, will star in ABS-CBN’s audition program “Pinoy Boyband Superstar,” set to air in September.

Along with Park, local celebrities including comedian Vice Ganda and singer Yeng Constantino have joined the show.

“The Philippines is where I grew up, where I envisioned myself as a musician,” Park said. “It is such a special opportunity to come back to the place that showed me love, even though I’m not a Filipino national.”

In 2004, Park emerged as a star in the Philippines after she was a runner-up in ABS-CBN’s audition program “Star Circle Quest.” Despite her success and fame in the Philippines, she left the country to try her luck in Korea after an offer from YG Entertainment, one of the biggest Korean entertainment agencies.

Park debuted as a member of 2NE1 in 2009 and gained popularity through hit songs including “Can’t Nobody (2010),” “I Am the Best (2011)” and “I Love You (2012).”