DaraPark4Ever.Com: Sandara Park debut in a TV drama The Return of Iljimae (2009) as Rie

Before Sandara Park debuted in 2NE1 in Korea, she was a highly popular idol in the Philippines. During that time, Sandara Park starred in several popular romantic-comedy films.

Sandara Park debuted in Korean households through a KBS documentary in 2005, showing the hardships that she endured while she was an idol in the Philippines. News of a Korean making it big as a celebrity in a foreign country became a big surprise to Korean fans.

Netizens who saw still cuts from Sandara Park’s movies eight years ago commented with,

“Your good looks are the same,”
” I can’t wait to see her movies!”
“Expecting it a lot already”
“Who is this guy kissing Sandara Park?”
“There’s a kissing scene?! Daebak”
“Sandara looks younger now than from eight years ago. Must be the make up,”
“Looking forward a lot to see Dara’s acting!”
“I hope to see her in a Korean movie in the future!”
“Excited for her movies!”
“It’s really amazing to think that no matter how I know that this picture was taken 8 years ago, she still looks the same,”
“Why are her movies suddenly being released in Korea?” “Sandara Park naturally looks beautiful,”
“When will fans see her star in a Korean movie?”

...... showing various reactions, making it a hot topic.

In December 2004, YG Entertainment's Yang Hyun Suk offered Park workshop classes in South Korea after seeing the ABS-CBN Documentary My Name Is Sandara Park. In March 2005, Sandara went ahead with the workshops, putting her career in the Philippines on hold. After six months, she resumed work in the Philippines, starring in several movies. She left the Philippines show business industry and returned to South Korea with her family on August 1, 2007. YG Entertainment announced the following day that Park had signed a contract with them.

Before her debut as a 2NE1 member, she was featured in a TV drama The Return of Iljimae as Rie. This was Sandara's first apperance in Korea TV drama.

One can see that Sandara Park emits a different kind of charm as an actress. She radiates an innocent and wide-eyed look, which is different from her fierce image in 2NE1 right now.

The Return of Iljimae (Hangul: 돌아온 일지매; Hanja: 돌아온 一枝梅; RR: Doraon Iljimae) is a 2009 South Korean historical action television series, starring Jung Il-woo in the title role of Iljimae, Yoon Jin-seo, Kim Min-jong and Jung Hye-young. It aired on MBC from January 21 to April 9, 2009 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.

The series is based on comic strip Iljimae, published between 1975 and 1977, by Ko Woo-yung which was based on a Chinese folklore from the Ming dynasty about a masked Robin Hood-esque character during the Joseon era. MBC bought the rights to the comic strip for their adaptation, which was to star Lee Seung-gi in the title role of Iljimae. However he pulled out and was replaced by Jung, which makes him the third Korean actor to play the hero following Jang Dong-gun (MBC, 1993) and Lee Joon-gi for Iljimae (SBS, 2008).

Sandara Park’s fresh acting is already being expected by the fans in Korea who are looking forward to seeing her movies.

Synopsis: Return of Iljimae: Episode 7 - “Throw the shuriken”
PHOTO GALLERY: Sandara Park as Rie in The Return of Ijumie

Sandara Park talks about her first TV role in Korea

Sandara Park's part scenes in a TV drama The Return of Iljimae as Rie