Kang Ha Neul reveals his wish to be a young father at his Singapore Press Conference > TV-MOVIES

On 26 August, actor Kang Ha Neul arrived in Singapore to promote his latest drama 'Scarlet Heart' (보보경심: 려​), a Korean adaptation of the popular Chinese period drama 'Bu Bu Jing Xin'. He plays the role of the 8^th prince Wang Uk and shares a love line with the female protagonist played by singer-songwriter IU. 

Decked in an all-black suit and sporting a short hairdo (unlike his longer locks in the drama), the 26-year-old actor made his appearance at the press conference with a shy princely aura. Held at The Westin Singapore, Kang Ha Neul was full of smiles and laughter throughout the session. 

A Brave Heart 

The rising actor confessed to feeling the pressure and high expectations placed on him when he took up the role in such a grand production. He was aware of the original series' popularity and felt the need to do just as well, or even better. Taking things in his stride as a professional actor, Ha Neul decided to enjoy the process instead of stressing over the big shoes that he had to fill in. Working alongside a star-studded cast (including Lee Joon Gi, EXO's Baekhyun, SNSD's Seohyun), Ha Neul added that "the experience has been an amazing one". With director Kim Gyu Tae (known for the acclaimed drama That Winter, The Wind Blows) helming the production, Ha Neul confidently vouched that the remake will impress with breath-taking visual aesthetics.

A Humble Heart

Compared to his drama character, Ha Neul modestly said, "I'm very ordinary and very different from Wang Uk", likening himself to a typical boy-next-door. He reveals that he is "not great in martial arts" and "not as smart" as his character, Prince Wang Uk. When asked what he likes about his role as the eighth prince, he replied in English, "Everything?" followed by "Just kidding!" The actor shared that he was attracted to the elements of growth and self-discovery portrayed by his character after finding love in the drama. He found it appealing as Wang Uk goes through some changes in the process of finding out what he truly wanted to do.

A Desiring Heart

Kang Ha Neul surprises with his desire to play the role of a young father in future. "I'm drawn to roles with traits that I do not possess". He continues to explain that he wants to attempt characters that are very different from his real life so that he can challenge himself to bring out those new traits and possibly discover a new side of him. Indeed, the mark of an ambitious and passionate actor!

The press conference ended with a photo call session where Kang Ha Neul poses with his trademark 'peace sign' and an infectious gummy smile. If we were to sum the actor up, Kang Ha Neul is certainly an affable and down-to-earth person, albeit slightly awkward but that made him all the more endearing. Stay tuned to our report on his public Meet-&-Greet session where he dishes out plenty of fan-service and makes the crowd swoon with happiness. 

Scarlet Heart premieres first and exclusively on ONE (Singtel TV Ch 513 & 604 and StarHub TV Ch 124, 820 & 823) with a 2-episode back-to-back special on 29 August 2016 (Mon), same time as Korea, at 9pm. Subsequent episodes will air every Monday and Tuesday at 9pm.​

Korea.com's Shya contributed to this report from Singapore.