SINGAPORE - Their home-grown fans, not to mention parents, have been waiting. And at last, Skarf, the first Korean pop band to have Singaporeans in the line-up, have made their first official appearance here.

The four-member girl band who debuted in Seoul 11/2 months ago made up for lost time in a whirlwind three-day visit in Singapore.

Singaporeans Natasha Low, 18, popularly known as Tasha, and Ferlyn Wong, 20, along with Koreans Sol, 21, and Jenny, 16, have been busy with interviews and rehearsals since arriving on Monday.

They held a public meet-and-greet event at Bugis+ mall on Tuesday and were to perform at a private event on Wednesday night before heading to the airport for their flight to Seoul.

Their schedule was so packed that they did not even have time to have a meal with their families.

At Skarf's fan session, Ferlyn's mother, housewife Rosy Ng, 49, told Life!: "The only time we had to talk to them was at the airport on Monday. Even then, their 'nanny' was quite stern and wanted them to quickly move off to the next venue." She last saw Ferlyn at the group's Seoul debut.

However, family members did get to see the up-and- coming K-pop stars on stage at Bugis+. The quartet, whose name is also stylised as SKarf, attracted an audience of at least 500 people, including 300 fans who queued for autographs.

The girlband kicked things off with an official signing ceremony with Giant Hypermarket, with whom they have a year-long endorsement deal.

The girl group later gave a showcase performance, making their Singapore debut with two songs - their debut single, Oh! Dance, which peaked at No. 29 on the Gaon Weekly Album Chart, and My Love - and played a stage game with lucky fans.

A surprise early birthday celebration was also held on stage, where a cake was presented to leader Tasha (right) by her mother and older brother Nicholas, 21. Her special day falls on Oct 11.

On the reception Skarf have received here, Mr Alan Chan, group chief executive officer of Alpha Entertainment Group, which launched Skarf, said: "We never expected to see fans waiting at the airport... and were expecting a quiet affair at Bugis+ of 100 to 200 people as it is the exam period. We initially didn't have plans for an autograph session but thought we might as well do it since Skarf were in town and the response was explosive, with screaming fans following them."

Tasha and Ferlyn were initially overwhelmed when they made their way onstage, but quickly composed themselves and carried out their duties with big smiles.

During a three-minute interview in the artist bus after the event, Tasha said: "I feel so excited and to see so many people supporting us is really an honour. I actually felt so nervous about coming back."

She also expressed surprise at fans who went to the airport: "To see them and my friends and family, I love them so much, and also it is the exam period, so I'm very thankful."

Tasha's brother, Nicholas, who is training to be a full-time dancer, missed Skarf's debut in Seoul and is amazed by his sister's progress. He said: "At first, it didn't really sink in that my sister was in K-pop and all of a sudden, I see a music video with her in it. I didn't have the chance to spend much time with her but I'm very proud of her."

Skarf were also set to perform at a private event on Wednesday night organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to commemorate National Foundation Day.

This is not the last Singapore will be seeing of the girls this year as they will appear in Channel 8 series It Takes Two, which stars Chen Hanwei and Kym Ng and is slated to air next month.

Skarf are already garnering a loyal following with fans such as student Nadya Esmeralda Mustafa, 14, who started queuing at 11am on Tuesday to see the band after sitting for a literature paper.

She said: "I promised my mum I'd do well in my exam before I came to see Skarf. I can't wait to talk to Ferlyn because I gave her a soft toy flower at the airport. I want to tell Skarf I'll support them all the way."

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