AO Exclusive: Jung Hae In shares thoughts on his acting career and plans for the future
Multitalented actor Jung Hae In has come back to the Philippines to meet his Filipino Haeiness!
Celebrating 10 years in the acting industry, Jung Hae In is known for his lead roles in various dramas like “While You Were Sleeping,” “Prison Playbook,” “Something in the Rain,” “Snowdrop,” “D.P.,” and his latest series “Love Next Door.”
Previously, Jung Hae In has visited Manila for his “One Summer Night” fan meeting in 2019 and “The 10th Season” fan meeting in 2023.
This year, he returns to the country for his “Our Time” tour stop in Manila. A day before the sold-out fan meeting, Jung Hae In appeared for a public press conference at the Market! Market! in Taguig last December 20.
Hosted by Sam Oh, the event started with Jung Hae In posing for photos for the press. Loud cheers filled the venue as Jung Hae In flashed big smiles for the cameras and showed some hand hearts to the fans.
“Hello, everyone. I came back here in the Philippines. I’m so happy to [be] in here. I appreciate everyone who came here. Thank you so much,” Jung Hae In greeted the audience.
Jung Hae In and “Love Next Door”
One of the hit rom-coms that became popular among K-drama viewers this year was “Love Next Door,” where Jung Hae In played the male lead character Choi Seung Hyo. Jung Hae In shared that when they were filming for the series, he wasn’t expecting that it would receive this much love. Rather, he simply did his best in every day of their shoot.
Prior to “Love Next Door,” Jung Hae In said that he didn’t know how to swim but learned to do so, particularly to fulfill his role as a high school swimming athlete. “I’m not afraid of the water anymore,” he stated.
Like the actor’s previous roles, Choi Seung Hyo was a character that also needed a great physique. Thus, Jung Hae In shared that he’s always managing his body. “Today also, as soon as I arrived in the Philippines, I immediately worked out in the hotel,” he said through an interpreter.
Jung Hae In’s acting career
Throughout his career, Jung Hae In has portrayed diverse roles across different genres, from action to rom-com. Thus, he said it was difficult to choose one as his favorite. Still, he said that he liked the character Choi Seung Hyo.
“Whenever I’m choosing a character that I would portray, it’s very important for me to draw it out in my head if I can do it. But even with characters that I cannot imagine doing, I still challenge myself because I know that it would be rewarding later on,” he shared through an interpreter.
Looking back on his acting career, Jung Hae In thinks that he has received the most love doing rom-coms. Thus, he asked for fans to also support him when he does other genres.
This year, Jung Hae In shared that the most challenging part for him was filming for the movie “Veteran 2.” It was the project that brought him to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time.
Jung Hae In’s plans for next year
As 2024 is about to end, Jung Hae In shared his goals for the coming year. “It’s the same from last year’s. Though it’s unavoidable that I might be hurt physically or emotionally while working on my projects, I hope that it wouldn’t be too much. I hope you can also prioritize your health among your goals for next year,” he said through an interpreter.
Jung Hae In also informed the audience that he’s currently looking at dramas and movies to do next year. “I think those new projects will be a new challenge for me,” he said.
Regarding his plans for the holidays, Jung Hae In shared that he’d be at home with his family for Christmas. He’s also thinking of doing a livestream briefly to fulfill a promise he made to his fans, Haeiness.
AO Exclusive
During the press conference, Jung Hae In answered the Annyeong Oppa team’s question about how he would like to spend a day in Manila if he could. “There are many famous places and beautiful churches here. I’m Catholic. I want to visit some churches. I also want to go to Manila Bay and eat delicious foods there,” Jung Hae In shared.
Meanwhile, the actor said that coming to the Philippines and meeting his fans felt like a dream to him.
“It was nice to come back here again. I missed you guys. Thank you for the warm welcome,” Jung Haein said through an interpreter.
As an early Christmas gift to Jung Hae In, the fans wished him a Merry Christmas. This earned a big smile from him and a greeting back to the audience.
The press conference wrapped up with Jung Hae In’s heartfelt message to his fans. “I’m thankful that so many of you came. Thank you so much. I received much energy from you guys. I have a fan meeting tomorrow. Let’s have a good time again,” he said.
Check out highlights from the press conference here:
This event is made possible by CDM Entertainment.
