Lee Hak-ju, "A wife who resembles Gil-chae, confident, cute and full of energy."

“My wife is like Gil-chae (Ahn Eun-jin). She is full of energy for life, cute and confident. She is the person I rely on a lot.”

Actor Lee Hak-joo, whom we met at the SM C&C building in Sangam-dong, Seoul on the 22nd, expressed his affection for his non-celebrity wife, whom he married in November of last year, and said this.

'Lovers', which ended on the 18th, is a historical drama set during the Manchu War. It tells the story of the love and hope of the people who crossed paths during the Manchu War. In the play, Lee Hak-joo played the role of Nam Yeon-jun, a Confucian student at Sungkyunkwan and a man with upright will to fulfill the path of a gentleman.

Lee Hak-ju said about Nam Yeon-jun's ending, "It was sad. It wasn't a bad intention, but I felt like I was unintentionally caught up in the whirlpool of the world. I had an ideal that I wanted to realize, but I felt that it was an illusion. I felt pity in my heart."

Nam Yeon-jun stayed away from his wife, in contrast to Lee Jang-hyun (played by Namgoong Min), who said "I should hug her" when his wife Kyeong Eun-ae confessed that she was grabbed by the shoulder while in a barbarian. He also tried to take his own life.

As a result, some viewers said, ‘Isn’t this a character breakdown?’ Lee Hak-ju said, "I didn't think it was a collapse. That friend always said that women keep their integrity and men keep their loyalty." He added, "There is a difference between ideals and emotions in my head, and it was unfortunate that I couldn't let go of my ideals. “I love Eun-ae more than anyone else, but it’s sad that barbarians are driving a gap between us,” he explained.

Regarding Nam Yeon-jun being called one of the three most reviled 'lovers' following Liang-eum (played by Kim Yun-woo) and Jong-gwan (Ji Seung-hyun), he said, "I didn't think viewers would like it. I think it was inevitable because I wanted to show the reality of Joseon. "he said.

Lee Hak-ju said about Lee Da-in, who they worked with as a married couple, "I really liked it. I was thankful that they were so good at acting sad."

Lee Da-in, who married Lee Seung-gi last April, garnered attention by recently announcing her pregnancy. Lee Hak-ju said, "I also congratulated him a lot. We had scenes to film in the future and we talked about whether it would be okay. Lee Da-in bravely said that it didn't matter."

Lee Hak-ju is also a newlywed who got married in November of last year. When asked about his plans for children, he shyly said, "I haven't discussed that with my wife yet."

What was your wife’s reaction when she saw your romance with Lee Da-in? Lee Hak-ju joked, “My wife likes to watch me act. It’s fun to watch,” and “I hug (my wife) harder at home.”

When asked if he had any intention of revealing his wife through entertainment, Lee Hak-ju said firmly, "No. We will live well on our own."

Lee Hak-ju also gained some weight in Part 2. He said, "I gained some weight before filming started, but as I continued to eat less while filming, I lost even more weight. I didn't think it was good to be too thin, so I gained about 3kg for Part 2."

What were your feelings toward Yoo Gil-chae (Ahn Eun-jin)? Lee Hak-joo explained, "I thought she was a close family member who was born and raised in the neighborhood. Although she showed that she was briefly shaken around episode 7, I didn't think she really loved her. She felt like family."

Regarding her chemistry with Namgoong Min (played by Lee Jang-hyun), she said, "Namgoong Min liked me very much. He came out during the making of the film and smiled whenever I did anything. During the last filming, he said it was so nice to meet him after such a long time, and I wondered what would happen if he showed his happiness." revealed.

Are there any expectations for the year-end awards ceremony? Lee Hak-ju said, “It’s an unexpected feeling.”

“If I could, I would like to give Eun-ae an achievement award. I should have hugged her, but I couldn’t.”

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr