While participating in the show "You Quiz On The Block", Jung Hae In shared about the time when the drama "Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food" aired in 2018.
The actor said he avoided public attention because it felt like "the whole world admired me as the perfect boyfriend model".
When playing the role of Son Ye Jin's young lover, Jung Hae In was nicknamed "yeonhanam" (tentatively translated: young boyfriend), "national boyfriend".
However, the audience's love as a way of identifying Jung Hae In with a character image, causing the actor pressure and stress.
"I pushed myself so hard. After that, I couldn't sleep well, struggling with terrible insomnia. At that time, I really didn't feel very happy," Jung Hae In confided.
Up to now, Jung Hae In's most famous works are "Pretty Sister Who Buys Me Food" and "Snowdrop" both of which build the image of a "national" boyfriend, flawless, infatuated and masculine.
When he was paired with Son Ye Jin, Jung Hae In caused a stir when in the first 8 episodes there were dozens of intimate and secret kissing scenes.
The scenes where Jung Hae In protects his "pretty sister" or is jealous of his girlfriend's ex-lover are still considered classics of Korean romantic movies.
The image of a young man in love helped Jung Hae In get closer to the general audience but also put pressure on him to maintain a sweet, warm appearance like Seo Joon Hee on screen.
After becoming famous, Jung Hae In tried to change his image with heavy action roles in "Deserter Capture", "12.12: The Day" and "Veteran 2".
However, it cannot be denied that the melodrama genre fully exploits Jung Hae In's physical advantages and ability to interact with co-stars.
The kiss scene of Jung Hae In and Jung So Min (Love Next Door) attracted 24 million views, the first kiss scene of Jung Hae In and Jisoo (Snowdrop) attracted 3 million views after a few days, the first kiss of Jung Hae In and Son Ye Jin on screen caused a stir on Weibo, Twitter, Naver...
The same situation happens with many Korean male screen gods such as Ji Chang Wook, Song Kang, Park Seo Joon... when their handsome appearance and sweet smile overshadow their acting ability.
Many handsome male stars are criticized for being "one-dimensional" when acting in romantic movies, but when they switch to action or horror movies, audiences only care about intimate kissing scenes with their female co-stars.
Jung Hae In was born in 1988. He continuously appeared in the films "While You Were Sleeping", "The Three Musketeers", "Bride of the Century", "Goblin", "Reply 1988"... and was nicknamed "national supporting actor".
