My shame at having Filipino accent – K-pop star Sandara Park of 2NE1, former girl group
- South Korean singer grew up in the Philippines and speaks English with a Filipino accent – something she admits she was embarrassed by for a time
- Park, who had a string of hits with 2NE1, changed her mind after being told her accent was cool
By Dong Sun-hwa
Sandara Park, a former member of defunct K-pop girl band 2NE1, has revealed she was once ashamed of her Filipino accent.
Park, who lived in the Philippines for 11 years, has a good command of English. But in the past she was unhappy with her accent. “I was embarrassed by my accent at first,” she said during an interview on the pay-television station MBC Every 1. “The Philippines’ English has a unique accent.”
But she changed her mind after an overseas tour as a member of 2NE1 after learning that her accent was merely a trait of Filipino English.
“Many people told me it was cool and matches me well,” she said. “I became more confident thanks to them.”
The programme’s hosts also praised her English skills.
Park, also known as Dara, moved to the Philippines when she was a student and shot to fame there after appearing on the talent show Star Circle Quest in 2004. She debuted as a member of 2NE1 member in 2009 and enjoyed popularity with a string of hits including Fire (2009) and I Don’t Care (2009).
Since the group’s disbandment in 2016, she has been forging a career as an actress, singer and TV personality.
