Sandara Park | |
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Sandara Park at Etude Pink Concert in August 2012
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Native name | 박산다라 |
Born |
Park Sandara November 12, 1984 Busan, South Korea |
Other names | Dara |
Occupation | |
Relatives | Thunder (brother) |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instruments | |
Years active | 2004–present |
Labels |
Star Magic Star Music YG Entertainment |
Associated acts |
Korean name | |
Hangul | |
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Revised Romanization | Bak Sandara |
McCune–Reischauer | Pak Sandara |
Sandara Park (born November 12, 1984), better known by her stage name Dara, is a South Korean singer, actress and host. Seen as one of the few most influential Korean stars in the Philippines due to the success of her multifaceted career, she was given the honorific national title "Pambansang krungkrung ng Pilipinas", and was nicknamed the "BoA of the Philippines" by Korean fans. She is recognized as a fashion and beauty icon because of her eccentric and distinct fashion style. Park is also acknowledged for acting as a bridge between Filipino and South Korean culture, and was given a plaque of appreciation by the Korea Tourism Organization for her contributions. Aspects of Park's personal life, including her relationships, family issues, and the fallout with Hero Angeles while still in the Philippines, attracted national attention as well.
Rising to fame in the early-2000s, Park became an overnight superstar while participating as a contestant during the first season of Star Circle Quest in 2004, in which she finished as the runner-up. She signed with Star Magic after the completion of the competition and officially began her music career with the self-titled extended play, Sandara, which debuted atop the Philippine charts and has sold over 100,000 physical copies. It remains the only album by a Korean born act to be certified platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry. The carrier single, "In Or Out", was a major dance anthem and became a nationwide hit, cementing her status as an 'imported' household name in the region. The album's later repackaging featured a new single, "Walang Sabit", which became very popular as well. 2004 also saw her first lead acting role in the movie Bcuz of U, which won her the Best New Actress award at the PMPC Star Awards for Movies. Park continued to dominate the Philippines market through 2005 with the major success of her comedy film Can This Be Love, and the followup single "Ang Ganda Ko".