Jung Joon-won, Feels Wronged by Comments on His Looks in Interview: "I'm Not Happy Being Called 'Ugly'" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with Jung Joon-won from the MBC prime-time drama "Married Woman Killer"

Actor Jung Joon-won (38) expressed feeling wronged over public comments on his appearance, saying, "I'm taking good care of myself."

On the 14th, Jung met with StarNews at a café in Bong-eunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for an interview marking the finale of the MBC prime-time drama "Married Woman Killer" (written by Kim Eun-hee, directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Ji-hoon).

"Married Woman Killer" is a drama depicting the struggles of a working mother with one of the most dangerous professions in the world as she fights to maintain her work-life balance.

The story unfolds with balanced tension between the differing beliefs of Kingfisher, a killer who eliminates criminals (played by Gong Hyo-jin), Kwon Tae-sung (played by Jung Joon-won), a social affairs reporter and Yoo Bo-na's husband who relentlessly pursues the truth behind the case, and Lee Dong-jin (played by Lee Sang), Kwon Tae-sung's close friend and a fate-bound detective tasked with catching criminals.

Jung Joon-won vividly portrayed the dramatic story of Kwon Tae-sung, a devoted family man, a journalist who tenaciously covers Kingfisher, and a thoughtful husband who embraces his wife's secrets. In the final episode, after facing all the truths, he completed the story with a harmless and warm ending true to Kwon Tae-sung's character, leaving a lingering warmth until the very end.

"Married Woman Killer" concluded its 14-episode run with a peak viewership rating of 10.7% (based on Nielsen Korea nationwide data).

When news of Jung Joon-won's casting in "Married Woman Killer" broke, he faced criticism from fans of the original work for not fitting the setting of a handsome male lead. Responding to this reaction, he said, "The original script described an unrealistic husband and father figure. Fans who had high expectations for the original work might have felt disappointed."

He added, "I've been working hard in my own way, but I think viewers' tastes and standards vary. I'm currently taking good care of myself as best as I can."

Jung Joon-won eventually said with an awkward smile, "It's not pleasant to be called 'ugly,' but that wasn't my priority; acting was. It's not that I don't care about my appearance at all."

When asked if he had checked viewer reactions to "Married Woman Killer," he revealed, "I looked at reactions on YouTube clips and other platforms. As you know, there were many negative responses in the early episodes. Seeing how much things improved later on made me feel incredibly relieved."

What did Jung Joon-won consider the key point for the success of "Married Woman Killer"? He said, "I think viewers appreciated Tae-sung's sincerity. I'm grateful that many people liked it."

Rumors circulated that Jung Joon-won was a "tetonam" (a neologism referring to men with strong masculine hormone imagery). Regarding his actual personality, he explained, "It just takes time for me to get close to someone; I'm not silent or anything. I make a lot of effort to be affectionate by nature. I wouldn't call myself a tetonam, but I tend to feel awkward about my slightly quirky personality."

Jung Joon-won made his debut in the 2015 film "Birdman" and began gaining attention as a leading actor only last year, after a decade-long career. Following his previous role in the tvN drama "The Interns Will Eventually Be Smart" (hereinafter "Unseoljeon"), he received significant interest again with this latest work, "Married Woman Killer."

Jung Joon-won said, "'Unseoljeon' served more as a device to refresh the story rather than carrying it through a long arc. Of course, thanks to the writer crafting the character well and the director bringing it to life, it received much love. For this work, I worried about whether I could deliver persuasiveness as a lead actor. Since many viewers might find me unfamiliar, I thought building trust was crucial."

He also addressed several recent issues surrounding him, including controversy over his passive behavior on the MBC variety show "What Do You Do When You're Bored?" He said, "Whatever happened was due to my actions, and there's no way other than convincing people through my work. If such opportunities arise again, I feel I must do my best to ensure similar incidents don't occur."

He further added, "There's no choice but to give my all in my work. I've been thinking about what competitive edge I can have in this industry and how I can succeed. I need to move beyond doubt and work with confidence. I'm glad this work concluded well. I don't know what projects lie ahead, but if I act with sincerity, I believe I will earn the trust of viewers and audiences. I must act with all my heart. Even if there are 99 good things said about me, one bad comment seems to overshadow everything. I think I can endure thanks to those who speak well of me."

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*This content was translated by AI.