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.
“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.