In a recent episode of SBS POWER FM’s Cultwo Show, K-pop star Dara reflected on her stellar journey in the entertainment industry, including her life as an “expat” in Korea.

Dara’s family moved to the Philippines when she was only 11 years old because of her father’s business. After spending almost 11 years fully immersed in Filipino culture, she made her professional debut in local entertainment in 2004 as an actress-singer, and was embraced by Filipino fans as the self-acknowledged “Pambansang Krung-krung.”

Her return to Korea signaled the beginning of a difficult new chapter. Dara remembered feeling alienated in the land of her birth.

“I felt completely new here. It almost felt foreign. Since I spent most of my childhood in the Philippines, I was more used to the culture there,” she shared.

Initially, she said, she unintentionally mirrored her behavior from the Philippines, leading to misunderstandings rooted in cultural differences.

“At the beginning, I just behaved like I did in the Philippines. But that resulted in some people thinking that I was rude when I simply didn’t know Korean culture,” she explained.

Likewise, Dara’s early days in the Korean entertainment scene were not without hurdles. For one, “I’d actually forgotten most of my English; I’m far better at Filipino,” she revealed.

But her hard work and commitment began yielding results. After joining YG Entertainment, she completed a two-year training period and made her debut as a member of the group 2NE1 in 2009.

2NE1 had a smashing career, but then disbanded in 2016. Dara then embarked on a solo venture with a self-titled EP and the music video for its lead track, “Festival.”

Recently, she collaborated with P-pop sensation SB19 on the song “Reset,” an advertising track for an electronics business that nevertheless conveyed Dara’s long-lasting love for Filipino culture. “Forever mahal ko ka-yo,” she sang at one point — and that’s why this “expat” performer remains among the most-loved celebrities in the Pinoy pop scene.