Advertisement

When Life Gives You Tangerines’ Park Hae-joon on how the K-drama made him a better husband

Park Hae-joon says playing a devoted husband in the Netflix drama was ‘a turning point’ that inspired him to ‘change and grow’ in real life

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Park Hae-joon as devoted husband Yang Gwan-sik in When Life Gives You Tangerines. The actor says the role in the Netflix period Korean drama series led him to reflect on his own family life. Photo: Netflix

By Park Jin-hai

Park Hae-joon, once infamously known in South Korea as the “nation’s adulterer” for his portrayal of an unfaithful husband in the 2020 drama The World of the Married, is reclaiming his screen persona – this time as the “nation’s romantic lead”.

In Netflix’s acclaimed series When Life Gives You Tangerines, Park delivers a heartfelt performance as Yang Gwan-sik, a devoted husband and selfless family man.

Park shared that he laughed and cried along with viewers while experiencing the story of When Life Gives You Tangerines, adding that portraying the devoted Gwan-sik proved to be more challenging than his previous role as an adulterous husband.
Kim Hee-ae and Park in a still from The World of the Married. The actor’s role in the series led to him becoming known in South Korea as the “nation’s adulterer”. Photo: Viu
Kim Hee-ae and Park in a still from The World of the Married. The actor’s role in the series led to him becoming known in South Korea as the “nation’s adulterer”. Photo: Viu

“Portraying a shameless character committing adultery had a certain thrill and catharsis because it allowed me to act out something that I don’t do in real life.

Advertisement