MAN ON A MISSION
ACTOR, HUMANITARIAN AND ART ENTHUSIAST JUNG WOO-SUNG IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL SCREEN IDOL. HE TELLS TAMA LUNG WHAT HE’S LEARNED IN THE COURSE OF HIS COLOURFUL CAREER
JUNG WOO-SUNG MAY NOT BE a household name in Hong Kong (except among fans of Korean TV and movies), but he certainly knows how to make an entrance. The 45-year-old South Korean actor arrived at our cover shoot at H Queen’s with an entourage of about 10, including his managers, publicists, stylists, a make-up artist and two bodyguards in intimidating black suits. After wrapping up the shoot, he was whisked downstairs to a green room – away from the crowd of paparazzi and fans who had gathered outside – until he was ready to face the TV cameras at a special art exhibition organised by Swiss skincare brand La Prairie. For Jung, who has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows in his 24-year career, dealing with screaming fans and breathless young women is just another part of the job – and something he’s grown accustomed to since he was a teenager and quit making hamburgers to pursue acting. “I didn’t go to acting school. I started out as a model, which was easier at the time,” says Jung, who grew up in an impoverished neighbourhood of Seoul and started working at 15 to help support his family. “One day I heard about an audition looking for a rookie for a new movie, and I went for it. I was very lucky; I got the title role without any previous acting experience. I was also fortunate that teen girls adored my appearance, no matter how good I was at acting.” Indeed, Jung’s debut in The Fox with Nine Tails led to a diverse range of roles on TV – in series including Asphalt Man, Athena: Goddess of War and Padam Padam – and in movie genres ranging from crime, action and thriller to fantasy, martial arts and romance. Some of his most memorable, and successful, projects include Beat, Musa, Cold Eyes, Steel Rain, and The Good, the Bad, the Weird. Jung, who loved watching TV and in particular heroes like Clint Eastwood in spaghetti western-style movies as a kid, finds it hard to name a favourite role or project. “There were a few movies that were popular in Korea,” admits the four-time Popular Star Award winner at South Korea’s Blue Dragon Film Awards, humbly. “But A Moment to Remember is the one that has become well known among overseas audiences, particularly in Asia.” Released in 2004, A Moment to Remember paired Jung with Son Ye Jin in an emotionally charged performance as an architect whose 27-year-old girlfriend is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. The box-office hit opened the doors to even bigger roles and films, and a steady flow of work and nominations for acting awards. Along the way, Jung’s interest in film led to an affinity for art and photography. “I didn’t know much about art and was just interested in decorating my house,” he says. “Then a few friends who are really interested in art introduced me to some globally renowned artists and took me to their exhibitions. That’s how I started to learn about art.” The first work Jung purchased was by German photographer Candida Höfer, who had an exhibition in Korea. “I found a work that captured my attention but was affordable,” he recalls. Another artist who made an impression on Jung was the sculptor and abstract expressionist John Chamberlain.
“I already knew the artist because his works were so interesting,” he says, recalling a visit to the Guggenheim Museum in New York. “When I finally saw his works at the exhibition, I was immediately fascinated, but I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to own one of his pieces. “One or two years after was in New York, I was able to buy a small work of his by chance. I’m not the kind of person who keeps chasing after a certain piece to possess it. But I always follow the work of the artists I like and have seen at exhibitions. I wait for the right one, no matter how long it takes.” Jung insists he’s still a novice when it comes to art and that’s it’s too early to call him a collector. Instead, he seeks out art
“I’M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO KEEPS CHASING AFTER A CERTAIN PIECE TO POSSESS IT. I WAIT FOR THE RIGHT ONE, NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES”
with which he feels an emotional connection. “I enjoy them and feel happy looking at them,” he says. “But sometimes they stay with me for just a short time if I feel as though they no longer belong to me. “I had a very small piece by [the American sculptor] Alexander Calder. It reminded me of a Japanese woman in a kimono. I also like John Chamberlain’s works because they remind me of toy robots made of waste from grown-ups,” he adds. “I like to own art that conveys a special meaning or can project unexpected images that entice my interest. These kinds of works make me happy.” Besides acting and art, something else that makes Jung happy is his humanitarian work. In 2014 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees appointed him as a celebrity supporter and a year later as its first Korean Goodwill Ambassador. His first official activity was to visit a refugee camp in Nepal. “When I got there, I started asking myself, ‘What am I doing here? What am I supposed to do?’ I suddenly felt a grave responsibility about this mission, which I had accepted quite light-heartedly,” Jung recalls. His first-hand experiences working alongside the UNHCR field agents and meeting refugees had a profound impact on the actor. “I met individual refugees at the camp and listened to their stories,” he says. “I could see what was really happening in the camp, the conditions of the maternity ward and the babies being born in the delivery room.” Jung was more prepared – and, he admits, more nervous – for his second mission, visiting a refugee camp in South Sudan. “They really appreciated [our visit]. The refugees were very moved by the fact that there are people in the outside
world who care about them and worry about the challenges they are facing,” he says, recalling in particular the time he spent with kids at the camp. “The children were cheerful and even had clear career goals. Some wanted to become journalists, others wanted to become doctors, lawyers, teachers and so on. They had learned that the role of those professionals is very important in their lives, so they also wanted to become people who can help others in similar situations.” Jung’s work with the UNHCR has also taken him to Iraq, Lebanon and Bangladesh, and he has made personal donations to UNHCR in the wake of natural disasters. If anything, he has learned not to take anything for granted. “I’m sociable and adaptable. I could endure the distressing conditions because I was there by my own choice,” he says. “But they were forced to leave their countries. They didn’t have a choice. Still, they showed me how powerful and courageous humans can be.” In addition to his humanitarian duties, Jung continues to act as well as produce, direct and run a talent management firm with his good friend and fellow actor Lee Jung Jae. He also frequently serves on the jury of various film festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival in Korea and IFFAM (International Film Festival and Awards Macao). Despite the buzz around the Hollywood feature Crazy Rich Asians, Jung is happy to continue working in Korea and on Korean films. “In the past, getting a role in a Hollywood movie was considered something special. But with the gap [in movie quality] narrowing, many Korean movies are now screened overseas and it’s become possible to work with actors and directors from different countries,” he says. “Hollywood actors and actresses are also taking part in Asian movies more than before. So there are more choices now.” Jung’s latest project, currently filming in Korea, is a heartwarming tale of a corrupt lawyer who turns good after meeting a young woman with autism. Witness is set for release around Chinese New Year. With so much going on, Jung’s focus is just trying to stay in the moment. “I’m not so ambitious. If I keep working hard and sustain what I have achieved, that would be my life’s achievement. Some people say that staying where you are is the hardest thing to do, and I agree. I can go up or I can be elbowed out any time, but staying where I’m at is the most difficult thing to do,” he says with a laugh as he lifts his hands in the air. “Hang in there!”
“I CAN GO UP OR I CAN BE ELBOWED OUT ANY TIME, BUT STAYING WHERE I’M AT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING TO DO”