Wi Ha-jun Discusses His Love for Desserts and His Journey in 'Siren'
"I really love desserts. I like cake the most, and I've tried butter rice cakes, which were delicious (laughs). I've often sent DMs to 'Duzonku' dessert shops to reserve and personally pick up their treats. After purchasing, I share them with the staff on set."

Recently, an interview with actor Wi Ha-jun, the male lead in tvN's 'Siren', was held at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul. 'Siren' is a captivating romance thriller about a man investigating insurance fraud who becomes entangled with a woman suspected of being a suspect. Wi Ha-jun played the role of Cha Woo-seok, an insurance fraud investigator who pursues Han Seol-ah (played by Park Min-young). He received praise for his nuanced portrayal of a character with both cold rationality and deep devotion.

Wi Ha-jun Discusses His Love for Desserts and His Journey in 'Siren'
Wi Ha-jun, who debuted in the 2015 film 'Coin Locker Girl', moved to Seoul from Wando in his senior year of high school to pursue his dream of becoming an entertainer. He has built a solid career with roles in various projects such as 'Romance Is a Bonus Book', '18 Again', and 'Little Women', and expanded his global fanbase through 'Squid Game'. After focusing on OTT projects, he returned to television with 'Siren', marking his first TV appearance in two years since 'Graduation' in 2024.

Despite appearing in several successful romance projects, Wi Ha-jun is best known for his roles in genre works like 'Squid Game', 'Bad and Crazy', 'Midnight', and 'The Worst of Evil'. His intense image has become naturally ingrained in the public's mind. In the interview, Wi Ha-jun expressed his desire to explore the romance genre further, highlighting his gentle nature and sharing various stories with a calm and humble demeanor.

Wi Ha-jun Discusses His Love for Desserts and His Journey in 'Siren'
Wi Ha-jun mentioned experiencing significant changes while working on 'Siren'. He stated, "I approached it with the mindset of memorizing all the staff's names on set, which was a different start for me."

When asked about the reason for this change, Wi Ha-jun explained, "For the first time, I had time to myself before starting a project. After 'Graduation', I quickly moved on to filming 'Squid Game' seasons 2 and 3, with projects releasing every six months. People didn't realize I had taken a break because of the continuous content releases." He added, "I took about a year off between projects. Before that, I had been working non-stop for 5-6 years on smaller projects." Wi Ha-jun emphasized the importance of having a relatively relaxed preparation period to reflect and assess himself.

Park Min-young previously shared an anecdote on a variety show about being surprised to see Wi Ha-jun shadowboxing before filming a kiss scene. This habit was also mentioned by Lim Se-mi from 'The Worst of Evil' and Jung Ryeo-won from 'Graduation'. Regarding his shadowboxing on set, Wi Ha-jun explained, "It was to boost my energy. I'm naturally low-energy, so I often get misunderstood as cold if I'm quiet, and I could feel the atmosphere on set becoming tense."

Wi Ha-jun Discusses His Love for Desserts and His Journey in 'Siren'
He continued, "I wanted to be a bright person on set and spread good energy. I found my own effective method by moving my body in place to raise my energy levels. It seems to naturally lighten the mood, so I continue doing it."

Does Wi Ha-jun have aspirations for variety shows? He admitted, "I've received many offers in the past. I enjoy casual conversations and laughter like on YouTube, but I've always felt hesitant about TV programs." He added, "Recently, my thoughts have changed a bit. I want to showcase my bright and human side in my work, but promotional variety shows have their limits. So, I'm considering whether to join a regular variety show," he said with a smile.

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr
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