Jung Hae In welcomes a challenge when it comes to acting

Jung Hae In welcomes the challenge of embodying every role he comes across in his acting career.

In a press conference on Friday for his "Our Time fan meet, the South Korean actor shared that he often likes to map out his characters in his head before he takes on their roles.

“Whenever I’m choosing a character that I would portray, it’s very important to me to imagine [and] to draw it out in my head if kaya ko ba siya gawin. Pero kahit 'yung mga character na di ko maimagine na kaya ko gawin, I still try to challenge myself kasi I know that it will be very rewarding later on,” he said as translated by an interpreter in English and Filipino.

(Whenever I’m choosing a character that I would portray, it’s very important to me to imagine [and] to draw it out in my head if I can do it. But even with the characters I don’t imagine myself portraying, I still try to challenge myself because I know that it will be very rewarding later on.)

“For me, actually, each genre is a challenge for me, so I just keep pushing myself,” he added.

After 11 years in the industry, he has figured out that he was most loved in his role of Choi Sunghyeo from the hit K-drama “Love Next Door." He also noted this was his favorite acting role.

Despite this, he revealed that he didn’t know how to swim before taking on the role of a swimmer.

“For Love Next Door, I specially trained for it para matuto akong lumangoy (so that I can learn how to swim), so I’m not afraid of the water anymore…. I’m always working out my body,” he shared through his interpreter.

“Honestly, hindi ko talaga in-expect na magiging ganito ka-warm 'yung welcome ng ‘Love Next Door’ when we were filming it. (I didn’t expect this warm of a welcome for ‘Love Next Door’ when we were filming it.) So, we did our very best without any expectations when we were filming that drama."

Per the actor, his role in the movie “Veteran 2,” which resulted in his debut at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, was one of his most challenging moments.

“I hope that you would also support me in my other projects as I film them… I’m already looking at scripts for my dramas and movies for next year, so each one of them is a challenge for me,” he said.

Aside from "Veteran 2" and "Love Next Door," Hae In is also well-known for playing the character of Lim Su Ho in "Snowdrop" alongside Blackpink member Jisoo.

Hae In is set to hold his fan meet, “Our Time,” at the New Frontier Theater on Saturday.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News