Singapore - Korean heartthrob Choi Siwon and Taiwanese hunk Eddie Peng calling each other “oppa”? You can almost hear girls everywhere swooning.

“Oppa” is a Korean term meaning “older brother”, usually used by girls to show affection for an older guy. The fact that co-stars of To The Fore are humourously using the term to describe each other is enough to send hearts a-fluttering.

Super Junior member Choi was in Singapore to promote his new sports movie directed by celebrated Hong Kong film-maker Dante Lam, and he told TODAY that he thought Peng was “awesome” when he met him for the first time on set in Kenting, Taiwan.

“I told director Lam I really liked Eddie, and he’s my ‘oppa’,” said Choi with a grin. “He’s a senio and he has a lot of experience.”

To The Fore delves into the world of competitive cycling, and cost S$16 million to make, taking six months to film, at various locations such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Mongolia and Italy. The cast reportedly ended up cycling more than 100,000km while making the movie, but that meant the boys inevitably bonded. In fact, Taiwan’s “It” actor Eddie Peng, whose star has been on the rise thanks to starring roles in films such as Cold War and Rise Of The Legend, was a reassuring presence for newbie Choi.

“I was a worried about my Mandarin accent being too Korean,” shared Choi. “So every day, I asked Eddie whether my pronounciation was okay. He would reassure me by saying, ‘It’s okay. Don’t worry, you’re not from Taiwan! Do whatever you want, it’s okay as long as you’re comfortable. If you’re comfortable, it sounds better.’ He really helped me a lot. He’s awesome!”

Peng, had stated in previous interviews that both he and Choi were BFFs. He reportedly told the media that they got along really well and would hang out together outside of filming. “The people around me love Siwon, so I had to make friends with him!” Peng said. “I’d randomly call him ‘oppa’ for fun. That isn’t correct, right? But it shows how friendly we are. (laugh),

“To The Fore is a very motivational movie, so youthful and full of energy that it carried over to the entire cast.”

To The Fore opens in cinemas today.