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Profile | Who is Jung Hae-in, the star of K-dramas Connect, D.P. and Snowdrop with a tough yet sensitive screen persona?

  • Unlike many of his peers, Jung Hae-in rose to stardom after university and national service, chiefly through his role in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
  • Since then, the actor known for gentle, naive characters has featured in Tune in for Love, and had edgy parts in army drama D.P. and Takashi Miike’s Connect

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Jung Hae-in, star of Disney+ drama Connect and Netflix’s D.P., is known for playing gentle characters with a strong screen presence.

Early in December, Jung Hae-in became the first Korean actor to headline two Korean drama series on Disney+, after teaming up with maverick Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike on the show Connect.

Jung takes on his grungiest role yet in the series. His character is kidnapped by organ traffickers as soon as he appears on screen and winds up cut open and harvested for organs on an operating table.
Though that doesn’t sound like the kind of part an actor like Jung would take on, his sweet and gentle screen persona slides comfortably into the show, softening the cartoonish blood and guts that are among Miike’s trademarks.
Over the past few years, Jung has taken on several roles that have expanded his range into more adult fare, without ever losing the persona that made him a star in the first place. It’s an image that has endured throughout his screen career, though Jung started much later than many of his Korean wave peers.
Jung Hae-in in a still from Connect.
Jung Hae-in in a still from Connect.
After dabbling in musicals at Pyeongtaek University, where he also earned a degree, Jung made his screen debut in 2014 at the age of 25. By then he had already completed his South Korean military service, unlike many of his male peers, who normally have to pause their careers while they complete their 21 months of obligatory service.
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