[Interview] Jung Hae-in: "'D.P.' Subject Could Not Be Viewed Lightly" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Jung Hae-in always sits at the interview table dressed neatly in a suit. From his neatly tied tie to his shining shoes, his tidy appearance naturally draws attention. While most actors meet reporters in casual attire, he is different. When asked if there was a special reason for wearing a suit, he straightened his back and said, "I wanted to be formal for the interview." Even during the non-face-to-face interview conducted due to the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection) pandemic, he was no different. This time as well, he sat in front of the camera in a neat suit. The kind energy he exuded was so strong that it belied the intense nature of the work.

On the afternoon of the 1st, Jung Hae-in said in an interview for the Netflix original series 'D.P.' that he referred to his memories from his actual military service while acting.

'D.P.' is a Netflix series depicting the story of An Jun-ho (played by Jung Hae-in) and Han Ho-yeol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan), members of the military deserter apprehension unit (D.P.), who chase after deserters with various backgrounds and face realities they had not known before. It is based on the webtoon 『D.P. Dog Days』 by writer Kim Bo-tong, which has accumulated over 10 million views. The series is directed by Han Joon-hee, known for 'Chinatown,' with the original author Kim Bo-tong and director Han co-writing the script.

The work was released on Netflix on the 27th of last month and has ranked number one domestically, appearing in the TOP 10 today in 14 countries including Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia, receiving a hot response.

Jung Hae-in said, "It's amazing to see my face on the first screen when I enter Netflix. I heard about the overseas reactions and feel a bit dazed," and laughed, "I've never received so many congratulatory messages from fellow actors before." He added, "The military is like a microcosm of society. I think people overseas also empathize with that aspect."

Recalling his first meeting with director Han Joon-hee, he said, "At our first meeting, the director said he wrote the work keeping me in mind, and I could feel that. I thought it was a work I absolutely had to do," and added, "Because the director and production team gave me great trust, I decided to appear without hesitation."

Jung Hae-in plays Private An Jun-ho, a member of the military deserter apprehension unit. Jun-ho is a quiet and calm young man but somewhat inflexible, who is recruited into the D.P. unit by the deserter apprehension officer who noticed his observation skills and perseverance.

His actual military service experience served as nourishment for portraying the role. He said, "A lot of my military life experience was incorporated. I studied my memories, such as the way I walked, how to organize the locker, how to care for military boots, and my posture when addressing seniors." He continued, "As a private, there isn't much you can do in the military. I even agonized over the scene where I had to state my rank and name. In reality, I shouted 'Private Jung Hae-in' loudly, but I wondered what tone and volume An Jun-ho should use."

He said he did not know exactly about the existence of the military deserter apprehension unit during his service. Jung Hae-in recalled, "I vaguely knew there were military police who acted like detectives. I remember hearing they were scary people."

'D.P.' is adapted from a webtoon based on the real experiences of writer Kim Bo-tong, who served in the military deserter apprehension unit during his military service. Jung Hae-in confessed that he did not want to act lightly.

"In 2014, there were frequent incidents and accidents in the military. I kept that in mind during filming. Since this is a work that must never be acted lightly, I felt I had to be thoughtful and careful in portraying it well. During my military service, I never thought deeply about this issue. We just talked about 'someone deserted' or 'someone didn't come back' and moved on, but through this work, I was able to look into why they had to make the choice to desert. It was a difficult decision, so I believe it should never be taken lightly."

An Jun-ho is drafted into the D.P. unit before he has fully adapted to military life, but he shows talent in tracking deserters with his keen observation and exceptional reasoning skills, gradually growing into a D.P. member. The easygoing and witty Corporal Ho-yeol shines in awkward situations and works in harmony with Jun-ho. The chemistry between Jung Hae-in and Koo Kyo-hwan as a duo received impressive reactions.

He said, "Both Koo Kyo-hwan and I are quite shy, but it wasn't difficult to become close. We are both kind and full of positive energy, so we got along well. On set, we respected and cared for each other as fellow actors. I also approached filming with that respect." He added, "I was curious about how our chemistry would be portrayed during filming, and I feel proud that the relationship came out well. The balance was good."

Jung Hae-in said he grew through 'D.P.' "Through this work, I discovered another side of my temperament. Like everyone, I have moments of melancholy. It was an opportunity to look into that emotion. I learn a lot from every work and set, and 'D.P.' also gave me great lessons and messages, so I feel I have grown a step forward."

Will there be a season 2? Jung Hae-in gave a positive answer. "I hope the good energy from season 1 naturally continues into season 2," he said. "I briefly asked the director and writer, and they said they are writing the script. We just need to receive the completed script and work hard," he expressed his anticipation.

What will Jun-ho be like in the next series? He laughed and said, "I think his rank will go up. Since new recruits will come in, there might be related episodes as well."

Photo = Netflix

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.