To celebrate the magnificent landmark of 140 years of economic and diplomatic relations between France and South Korea, Paris transformed into a grand cultural stage on 3rd June week. The flagship event of these celebrations, the Korea Expo, offered local fans an experience that was as spectacular as it was intimate. A key highlight of the event’s introduction on June 18th was the reveal of an exclusive Instagram contest, where three passionate fans were selected from social media to step up to the grand stage and directly present their personal inquiries to the guest of honor. The anticipation reached a fever pitch as the host welcomed the beloved South Korean actor, singer, and music producer, Jung Jin-Young, who surprised the hundreds of gathered attendees with his down-to-earth charm and fluent French greetings.
The atmosphere inside the venue felt deeply personal, almost like a cozy, laid-back conversation among old friends. Jin-young radiated immense joy, calling his current state pure “Hengbok” (happiness). During the fan integration segment, the audience cheered as the contest winners asked him about the deep psychological shifts in his acting. He admitted that his early role in the historical drama „Love in the Moonlight“ (2016) had been his greatest hurdle due to its complex traditional dialogue, but it ultimately shaped his professional foundations. Furthermore, when asked by a fan how he truly connects with a character, he humbly explained that it is a gradual, immersive process of continuous repetition and building inner confidence rather than an instant transformation.
Following these fan interactions, the conversation transitioned into an exclusive Q&A session, delving into entirely new aspects of his career path, character choices, and personal lifestyle:
„In recent times, you have been illustrating your versatility not only as an actor but also as a producer and artist. If you had to choose a single word to define the current Jin-young, what would it be and why?“
Jin-young instantly smiled and reiterated the word „Hengbok“. He explained that his ultimate professional goal has always been to communicate authentically through different mediums. Being in Paris, witnessing the cross-border love for his work, and preparing new artistic endeavors makes him feel entirely fulfilled and happy in his current skin.
„Among all the roles you have portrayed so far, is there one that was relatively easy—meaning it was close to your own personality—and conversely, a role that presented itself as a true challenge?“
Without hesitation, Jin-young pointed out that „The Girl I Loved Back Then“ was by far the easiest character to bring to life. He noted that the character’s traits perfectly aligned with his own real-life MBTI personality type, ENFP, allowing him to simply be himself on set. On the other hand, the movie „The Dude in Me“ (Le Mec en Moi) served as a massive challenge because it required him to constantly switch personalities due to a soul-swapping plot line, forcing him completely out of his comfort zone.
„What kind of cinematographic genre interests you the most right now, and is there a specific role you would love to explore in the future?“
Jin-young laughed gently and noted that up until now, he has almost exclusively played the quintessential “nice guy”. Moving forward, he expressed a strong desire to shed that gentle image and test his boundaries. “I would absolutely love to challenge myself with a villainous role next,” he revealed, sparks of ambition visible in his eyes.
The star’s humble and grounded nature was further highlighted when discussing his everyday life. No matter how exhausting his promotional tours are, he strictly goes to the gym for one to two hours a day, though he skipped it that morning to focus on the Expo. He playfully expressed his excitement to unwind by exploring French gastronomy and tasting local wines and champagnes.
Before wrapping up the memorable session, Jin-young gave a special shout-out to his listeners, promising that he is actively working on producing new music across various genres and hopes to share a new song very soon. With a heartfelt message of gratitude, he left the European audience counting down the days until his next return.
Elisa Cutullè