16 things you never knew about Park Hae Jin

This being his first official visit to Singapore, we here at Toggle decided that instead of quizzing him endlessly about the controversies surrounding his latest drama Cheese in the Trap, we’d ask him a series of random questions to find out what we would otherwise never get a chance to know about him.

To find out what he really thinks of his looks, which superhero he’d want to be and why he wants to be an oppa to his fans for life, click or scroll on to the rest of this gallery (which also includes snaps from his appearance at the press conference and Star Awards 2016 Walk of Fame).

P.S. Be sure to read on to the end for a special surprise!

Park Hae Jin: I’m currently living with my niece and nephew, who are three and six years old, so I feel really happy whenever I see them.

Toggle: What’s the first thing that you do when you wake up?

Park Hae Jin: The first thing I do when I get up is to drink water. (Why?) Isn’t it normal for everyone to do so once they wake up? (laughs)

Toggle: What’s the last thing that you do before you go to bed?

Park Hae Jin: Just before I go to bed, I’ll search my own name using my phone. It’s my habit to check whether there’s any negative news before I sleep. “Is there anything wrong? Are there any issues I don’t know about?” That’s what goes through my head as I search my name.

Park Hae Jin: (pauses) I’d put my seatbelt on first (because) safety is most important. (chuckles)

Toggle: What’s the first thing you notice when you meet someone for the first time?

Park Hae Jin: I don’t really look at a specific part of a person. Rather than that, I look at the person as a whole and see what sort of feeling and aura I can sense from him/her.

Toggle: Who’s your favourite superhero?

Park Hae Jin: Ironman!

Toggle: Do you think you’d make a good Ironman?

Park Hae Jin: Most superheroes are either born with or somehow inherit their superpowers, but Ironman is different. He’s just a normal guy who becomes extraordinary with the help of the things and people around him, so I’m confident that I’d make a good Ironman too.

Park Hae Jin: I think there are many roles that I have yet to have a chance to play –my recent role (in Cheese in the Trap) was one of the characters I had hoped to play the most, but I would pick a role which involves bromance with another male actor as something I’d want to do next.

Toggle: What would you do if you won the lottery?

Park Hae Jin: I’m not the kind of person who is lucky enough to win at such things but if I really did do so, I’d only want to spend it on good things. (Do you have any examples?) Currently, I have a lot of people (Ed’s note: he used the word friends, which can also translate to people whom he is close with) that I’m helping, so I would use the money to build something or to help them even more.

Ed’s note: Park Hae Jin is well-known for his charity work. In addition to donating generously both in Korea and beyond, he has also spent considerable amounts of time and effort volunteering for those in need. Most famously, he offered to withdraw the lawsuit against those who spread malicious rumours about him online if they participated in community service with him, delivering winter essentials ahead of the cold season.

Park Hae Jin: Even though this is an old drama, I’ve been watching an American drama called Burn Notice after filming and promotions for Cheese in the Trap ended.

Toggle: Who’s your favourite character in that drama?

Park Hae Jin: As with most dramas, I like the protagonist Michael the most and he always starts each episode by saying “My name is Michael.” He’s ex-CIA and the story revolves around the people around him, including his mother, ex-girlfriend and good friends and the story is really interesting, which is why I’ve been watching it really diligently.

(If there was a Korean remake of Burn Notice, do you think you’d make a good Michael?) I think I’d really enjoy the role if I had the chance to play it.

Park Hae Jin: I want to do everything that an ordinary person does – such as get married. It doesn’t need to be anything grand or special, but just something mundane that an average person would do.

Toggle: What makes you nervous?

Park Hae Jin: There’s a lot that makes me nervous – be it a hotel that I haven’t stayed in or somewhere that’s foreign. As a celebrity, there’s always a lot of attention on me so even if I’m right in front of my house – as long as it’s somewhere that has others apart from me – I’d start to feel a bit nervous.

Toggle: On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the least handsome and 10 being the most handsome, please rate your looks.

Park Hae Jin: Most people wouldn’t be fully satisfied with their own looks… So I’d give myself a seven. I don’t think my appearance is perfect; neither am I dissatisfied with how I look in general. I think I’m above average and I don’t have a particular feature that I find fault with, but I’ve deducted the remaining three points from my overall appearance.

Park Hae Jin: As a man, I’d definitely want to be known as an oppa forever. I’ve only been hearing sunbae more often recently, after my role as Yoojung sunbae (in Cheese in the Trap), but if I’d be the happiest could be an eternal oppa.

(Are there any other names that you enjoy hearing your fans call you?) When I was active in Japan, I was still really young so I had fans who were older than I was. They used to just call me by my name, Hae Jin-ah~, and I really liked hearing that too.

Park Hae Jin: To be honest, I’m not a person who shows aegyo or gives out hearts often. Fans would always say “Please show us a heart (sign)” when they were taking photos so that’s where it all started. The fans have shown a good reaction to it and I’m happy to see them happy and that’s why I’ve continued showing the heart gesture in many pictures. So yes, I acknowledge that I’m now a heart vending machine. (laughs)

(Personally, what sort of pose do you like best when taking photos?) I really like waving when taking photos and it’s also a way to say hello, but it never turns out well because photos are still images. (chuckles) It ends up looking like I was just posing with a hand up.