MOST people would be embarrassed or insulted to be questioned about their sex lives in public – but not Korean pop sensation Wonder Girls.

The quintet – Min Seon Yeh, 19; Park Yeh Eun, 20; Kim Yoo Bin, 20; Ahn So Hee, 17; and Yu Hae Lim, 17 – are now based in New York, and are in Singapore until tomorrow to make appearances for mobile-phone brand Sony Ericsson, for which they are brand ambassadors.

At a press conference at Marina Bay Sands yesterday, they told my paper (after a few girlish giggles) that they were far from offended when Taiwanese talk show host Dee Hsu – better known as Xiao S – popped a personal question at a variety show last month.

They understood that Hsu had asked the question for fun, said singer Min Seoh Yeh.

“We were very honoured to meet her,” said Min, as Hsu is a renowned artiste in Taiwan.

After much egging by her co-host and guest stars, the host dropped a bomb on the pop group, asking: “When was your first time?”

Flustered and a little taken aback, the women graciously – and gracefully – evaded the question with member Park’s frank response: “What kind of first time?”

And when asked about how some celebrities – like the Jonas Brothers, who famously promoted abstinence by wearing purity rings, and with whom the Wonder Girls toured the United States last year – flaunt their supposed virginity, the Girls put it down to “cultural differences”.

Some celebrities tend to be more open about sharing such personal issues with the public, Park told my paper at a media conference yesterday.

The Wonder Girls obviously don’t fall into that category, for Park merely smiled demurely when pressed further about how the Wonder Girls themselves deal with such matters.

Nor do the Girls – who broke out in early 2007 with Tell Me and Nobody, and who have just released a single, 2 Different Tears – regard themselves as sex symbols, though their fans gush about their looks.

“We don’t find ourselves very pretty,” Park confessed. “Other (Korean celebrities) are so beautiful... We’re very lucky to be where we are now.”

The women will be appearing today at three telco stores – SingTel’s hello! ComCentre, M1 at Paragon, and StarHub at Plaza Singapura – and the Sony Ericsson Concept Store at Iluma.

They will also perform at a showcase at Marina Bay Sands tomorrow.

“This is our first main performance in Singapore, and we’ve all been waiting for it,” said Min.

Park added: “We would love to headline a concert here.”

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