Park Hae Jin "Perfect image, but sometimes I get frustrated"

Actor Park Hae Jin recently shared in an interview how he feels about his public image.

Among his fans, Park Hae Jin has a reputation for being a “perfect man,” and the popular Korean phrase “a man straight out of a romance comic” has often been applied to him. This public image only solidified when he appeared in the webtoon adaptation (both drama and film) of “Cheese in the Trap” as the “perfect” college senior Yoo Jung.

In the interview, Park Hae Jin said, “I think that ‘perfection’ is an image that I created through hard work. But in reality, I’m less than perfect, so I am working hard to appear more perfect than I am. This is self-contradictory, but I also think that an actor should have gaps in their character. Instead of being set in one’s ways, [an actor] should maintain a state of openness and readiness to accept anything.”

Later he added, “As an actor, I have to live wearing a ‘mask.’ I can’t say ‘I don’t like it’ easily [in public]. Even when I want to yell, I have to hold it in, so it can be hard. But I become honest when I go home. I get mad at my mom and nag my older sister. All those held-in urges manifest themselves in my collecting mania instead. I had about 2000 pairs of shoes before I decided to get rid of them.”

It has been 12 years since Park Hae Jin made his debut in the entertainment industry. He said, “There are times when I get frustrated [by my schedule]. I wonder if I really have to live so strictly. But I don’t like falling into idleness either so I can’t help it. Even on my days off, I don’t like to sleep in.”
Park Hae Jin’s film “Cheese in the Trap” premiered in South Korea on March 14.