EXCLUSIVE: “I think my experience in the military helped me very much” – Jung Hae In on Netflix series D.P.

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Korean dramas and movies have seen a surge in international attention. Over the past few years, popular stories - from romantic comedies to thrillers to fantasy- all have been talking points on social media and households not just in South Korea but around the world. This is also because the stories and characters are something you resonate with, either find solace in or it works as an escape. In 2020, amid the pandemic, many resorted to exploring Korean dramas and movies. The world came to a standstill and some of these popular dramas from South Korea became a way to bring some joy and healing in everyone's lives. After Bong Joon's Ho sweep at Oscars 2020 with the movie Parasite, there's been a rising interest as well. The Korean language dramas are limited in their episodes, usually between 16-20. While stories are the core factor to attract the audience, with the shows, some of these actors have also gained a massive fan following internationally apart from the home ground. Amongst the actors who have gained a lot of attention for their unique dramas is South Korean star Jung Hae In. He is the romantic lead of the dreams; the man who is also one of the reasons behind the second lead syndrome in many series.

There's something interesting about Jung Hae In – he has never gone after the same kind of roles. The actor had his breakout star moment with While You Were Sleeping starring alongside Bae Suzy and Lee Jong Suk. Jung, who played the competent police officer Han Woo Tak, became the second lead for whom the nation was rooting for and eventually fell in love with.

Soon, he did several projects as the second lead in dramas before landing his lead role in the 2018 series Something In The Rain (Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food). Starring the queen of dramas Son Ye Jin and Jung Hae In, the series is easily one of the most popular and recommended romance dramas. A twenty-something video game animator falls for a thirty-something café manager as the show tackled the taboo subject of how society sees an older woman dating a younger man. Amid that, the beautiful chemistry between the two actors truly made them one of the most popular on-screen pairs of all time.

Right after this, in 2019, Jung once again proved that he is here to tell stories with Han Ji Min starrer One Spring Night where he played the role of a single father. The story revolved a pharmacist, who is a single parent, society’s issues with a woman marrying a single father, and toxic relationships. Known for his slow-paced choices in dramas, though One Spring Night happens to be one of the most underrated romance dramas, its story resonated with man.

The very year he starred in the movie Tune Into Love with Kim Ga Eun. Jung played the role of an ex-juvenile convict who falls in love with Kim’s character as it was set in the 1977 Asian financial crisis era. In 2020, he starred in another slow-paced romantic series Piece of Your Mind.

Now, Jung returns to the drama world after almost one and half years and shedding the romantic lead persona for a gritty and hard-hitting military-based story. Based on a popular webtoon by Kim Bo Tong, D.P. (which stands for Deserter Pursuit) that stands at 10 million views as of now, the Netflix series is about a special military squad. Outside of the military base and dressed casually, these soldiers may look like any other civilian, but the Deserter Pursuit unit is anything but. When duty calls and lives are put on the line, it’s their mission to track down runaway soldiers and bring them back safe and sound.

Jung Hae In headlines the series as the character Ahn Jun Ho who gets recruited in the D.P. squad even before he gets adapted to his new life in the military. The trailer is a rollercoaster ride and interestingly, the actor is yet to watch the drama himself. In his first-ever interview in India, Jung spoke to Bollywood Hungama about the excitement around his new drama. “We had a lot of fun shooting. I heard it is a lot of fun. We haven't been able to watch it just yet. I am looking forward to watching it. I am very happy that fans from around the world including India are very interested in DP. This is a very exciting time for us,” he told Bollywood Hungama over a zoom call interview.

Dressed in all black with a slick hairdo, Jung Hae In had a sweet smile on his face which is one of his charming traits. Having served in the military himself, it was an added bonus for him to work in a drama especially during action scenes. For unversed, in South Korea, every abled-man has to do mandatory military service for almost two years. “For me, playing the role of Ahn Jun Ho, I think my experience in the military helped me very much because I just knew from the first time itself when I shot the series, its familiar space as there’s a certain behavior, certain words that they say, a certain look in their eyes. I know, in this show, my character is trying to survive in this very new environment. I could kind of relive that moment through the series,” he adds during the conversation.

Unlike in the webtoon where Ahn Jun Ho is a corporal, in the Netflix series, he is a new recruit. Further, discussing his role and how the story unfolds, on August 25 during an online press conference, Jung revealed, “It starts from when he was just enlisted in the Army so you can see how he progresses in his military rank.”

The series director Han Jun Hee said that D.P. is an intriguing story he wanted to tell.  “These young people in their early 20s, they all go serve in the military. I think people could really resonate with them and put themselves in the shoes of these young lads. This could give us some social issues to talk about,” Han said during the press conference.

“When I thought of this series, I wanted to make sure that people wanted to resonate with Jun Ho and the character. So, I wanted [him] to be someone that everyone could think of as a friend who just started in the military. So, I wanted to portray the history of Joon-Ho, first enlisting in the army and how he progresses onwards,” he further said.

While the webtoon is dark, Han tells the story through the perspective of young recruits and the mental and physical strain they undergo. “There were some social issues that were incorporated into the series. The webtoon, it’s a little darker and somewhat deep and in terms of stories, so we wanted to make sure that this was scalable, so it could be brought on to screen,” he added.

As excited as Han Jun Hee is about the series, Jung Hae In is looking forward to it and wants everyone to enjoy it. Sending a sweet message to the fans in India, he concluded, “I am excited and thankful that fans in India will watch DP on Netflix. I hope you can enjoy the show, thoroughly.”

D.P. on Netflix arrives on August 27, 2021.