1. Acting Career

He made his debut in 2013 by appearing in the music video for AOA's "MOYA." Before his debut, he had already completed his military service, which is noteworthy as many actors typically serve after their debut.

He started gaining recognition from the public after his special appearance as Choi Tae-hee, the first love of the female lead Ji Eun-tak, in the drama Goblin. Despite his brief appearance, the drama received praise for even its cameos being handsome, and it generated positive responses. Around the same time, he had a significant role in the drama Night Light, but since the drama did not become very popular, many people were unaware of his involvement. Instead, his brief appearance in Goblin became a hot topic online, earning him the nickname "Tae-hee oppa." He is often cast in roles that portray him as a wholesome young man.

In 2017, he appeared in the dramas While You Were Sleeping and Prison Playbook. From March 30 to May 19, 2018, he starred alongside Son Ye-jin in the JTBC drama Something in the Rain, which greatly increased his popularity. In the latter half of 2018, he started filming the movie Tune in for Love with Kim Go-eun, which was released on August 28, 2019. In the first half of 2019, he starred alongside Han Ji-min in the MBC drama One Spring Night.

With the success of Something in the Rain, Tune in for Love, and One Spring Night, he earned praise for his delicate emotional acting in romantic dramas, making him synonymous with the characters he played. In the movie Start-Up, he took on a new challenge, playing a rebellious teenager full of energy. His early image of being bright, innocent, and gentle has been a significant factor in raising his popularity, and he has recently expanded his range by playing more rebellious and masculine characters.

In March 2020, he appeared in the tvN drama A Piece of Your Mind, playing the role of Ha Won, a leading programmer in the AI field. However, the drama struggled with low ratings, eventually being cut from 16 episodes to 12 in an attempt to boost viewership. Unfortunately, this led to an early conclusion.

In August 2021, he starred as Private Ahn Jun-ho in the Netflix drama D.P., where he attempted to shed his soft image by portraying a more masculine and tough character. The drama was a major success, allowing him to move past the disappointment of A Piece of Your Mind. The show was praised for its good direction, appropriate action scenes, and balanced mix of humor, tension, and social commentary. Many viewers felt a strong emotional connection to his character, Ahn Jun-ho, which was likely aided by his real-life experience of completing military service before his debut. Despite being in his mid-30s, his youthful appearance allowed him to convincingly portray a character in his early 20s.

In December 2021, he played the lead role of Im Soo-ho in the drama Snowdrop, a character vastly different from his previous roles, featuring unique action sequences and a compelling story. His outstanding facial expressions and emotional depth in each episode were particularly impressive. In the final episode, his explosive performance was a highlight. This role marked the completion of his image transformation, which began with D.P., expanding his fan base from mostly female viewers to a broader audience, including men. He also physically transformed himself for the role, incorporating tanning and bulking up to match the character.

In December 2022, he starred in the Disney+ original drama Connect, directed by Takashi Miike, as Ha Dong-soo, a member of a new human species called "Connect." His performance once again proved his acting abilities, excelling in action, horror, and thriller genres.

In July 2023, he reprised his role as Private First Class Ahn Jun-ho in D.P. Season 2. Given the success of the first season, there was much anticipation leading up to the release, and the show did not disappoint, maintaining the top spot on Netflix's charts in South Korea and globally. His performance in this season garnered even more praise, with viewers commenting that it was impossible to imagine anyone else playing the role of Ahn Jun-ho. He earned new nicknames like "Military Uniform Handsome Guy" and "DP's Personal Color" for his performance, reinforcing his potential as an actor capable of taking on diverse roles.

In November 2023, he made a special appearance as the secretary to a special forces commander in the film Seoul Spring, which is set against the backdrop of the December 12 military coup. His character was inspired by the real-life Major Kim Oh-rang. Despite having played a private first class in D.P., in this movie, he portrayed a major. Coincidentally, Major Kim was 35 years old when he died in action, the same age Hae-in was when he filmed the role. His character fights to the end to protect his commander, armed with only a handgun loaded with seven bullets.

In August 2024, he took on his first full-fledged romantic comedy in Love Next Door, where he plays an architect named Choi Seung-hyo.
In an interview, he expressed his desire to resonate with the audience through his portrayal of a relatable, everyday character. #

2. Additional Information

2.1 Before Debut

• Hailing from the Naju Jeong clan, specifically the Daesahongong branch, he is a 29th-generation descendant and a direct 6th-generation descendant of the renowned scholar Jeong Yak-yong. Specifically, he is the 5th-generation descendant of Jeong Yak-yong's second son, Jeong Hak-yoo. It is said that his ancestor, Jeong Yak-yong, was known as a handsome man in his time, with records stating that King Jeongjo praised him for his fair and elegant appearance. Similarly, Jung Hae-in is known for his fair skin and clean, classical features without double eyelids. According to an interview, he mentioned that his father closely resembles Jeong Yak-yong's standard portrait.
• He is distantly related to actor Jung Il-woo, being 31st cousins. Jung Hae-in's generational position is one rank higher. However, Jung Il-woo is not a descendant of Jeong Yak-yong. Jung Il-woo's 15th-generation ancestor, Jeong Yoon-woo, was the third brother of Jung Hae-in's 14th-generation ancestor, Daesahong Jeong Yoon-bok. Jung Il-woo belongs to the Chooamgong branch.
• He revealed in an episode of Bob Bless You that his father was born in 1962, and his mother in 1960. His father runs an ophthalmology clinic in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, while his mother is a pathologist at a hospital in Seoul. They also appeared in a video call scene on KBS's Jung Hae-in's Walking Report.
• His religion is Catholic, and this faith has deep roots in his family. His ancestors, including Jeong Yak-yong, his second brother Jeong Yak-jeon, third brother Jeong Yak-jong, and his son Jeong Ha-sang, were all persecuted for their Catholic faith.
• During his school days, he was chubby and round-faced but lost a lot of weight after the college entrance exam. He was scouted by an agency while eating ice cream at COEX after watching Dreamgirls with friends, sparking his interest in acting. Originally, he considered a career in biotechnology but decided to pursue acting after attending an acting academy, eventually getting accepted into a broadcasting and entertainment program. #
• He has a younger brother who is seven years younger, named Jung Hae-jun, born on February 8, 1995. His brother studied engineering and has already completed his military service. They are very close, often seen together like friends. Although Jung Hae-in is a reserved eldest son, his brother is affectionate and called home almost daily during his military service, which Jung Hae-in found endearing but bothersome. He observed his brother's behavior when playing the youngest son with aegyo in That's the Way It Is. They are often seen together, behaving like close friends.

2.2 Work-Related

• In While You Were Sleeping, there was a scene where he changed clothes to get discharged from the hospital, which made him a top search on Naver thanks to his "white chocolate" abs. He also displayed his abs in Prison Playbook. He consistently works out whenever he has the chance, mainly focusing on bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and pull-ups. He also enjoys golf, cycling, and riding a scooter.
• In an interview for Start-Up, he mentioned that he was a fan of actor Park Jung-min.
• His interview articles often show his serious demeanor, reinforcing his upright image. For example, he shared, "My motto is 'Be happy,' which means 'Just bow your head a little.'" #
• While filming D.P. Season 2, he nearly starved himself to portray Ahn Jun-ho's increasingly gaunt appearance as the character's situation deteriorated.
• He has played a soldier four times, and oddly enough, each character's surname starts with "ㅇ" and, except for one, ends with "ho" (Yu Jeong-woo in Prison Playbook, Im Soo-ho in Snowdrop, Ahn Jun-ho in D.P., and Oh Jin-ho in Spring of Seoul). Despite his gentle appearance, he looks great in a military uniform, prompting jokes among fans about his "personal color" being army green.
• He is good friends with actor Koo Kyo-hwan, with whom he shared a "bromance" in D.P. Koo Kyo-hwan, who previously had no celebrity friends, now considers Jung Hae-in his first. They often giggle together in the corners during behind-the-scenes footage or variety shows. According to Koo Kyo-hwan, they can communicate with just a glance and even seem to be growing more alike.

2.3 Charity and Philanthropy

• On April 6, 2019, he donated 30 million won to help those affected by the forest fires in Gangwon Province. #
• On February 28, 2020, he donated 100 million won through the Daegu Community Chest of Korea to assist low-income families during the COVID-19 outbreak.

2.4 Likes

• He enjoys singing and once sang a line from Yoon Jong-shin's "Like It" on Choi Hwa-jung's Power Time.
  He also sang at a fan meeting, delivering an honest and straightforward performance.#
• He loves meat and bread.
  He's a big eater who enjoys meat of all kinds and once ate an entire box of Choco Pies in one sitting. After gaining weight, he lost 12 kg during his military service, motivated by the thought that if he couldn't manage it, he wouldn't be able to act. He recently revealed in his content that he's also a fan of tteokbokki and beer.
• He's good at cooking, particularly Korean dishes like kimchi stew and soybean paste stew.
• He loves beer, especially lagers, and can drink 7--8 glasses of 500cc each. On the other hand, he's not very good with soju.
• He doesn't have a specific role model but respects and admires actors Park Hae-il and Shin Ha-kyun. #
• He's a big eater and very serious about food. Though he usually eats a lot, he tries not to eat too much to maintain his figure. He mentioned that because his facial features are not very pronounced, he tends to swell or gain weight easily. In an interview, he once said that when he sees his swollen face, it reminds him of a snail. In House on Wheels Season 3, while the other cast members put down their spoons, he kept happily eating. In Jung Hae-in's Walking Report, he devoured four hamburgers in just a few minutes. He also casually mentioned on Happy Together that he once ate an entire box of Choco Pies during his military service. Although he is usually reserved and shy in variety shows, he becomes lively and animated when talking about food.
• At a fan meeting, Jung Hae-in mentioned that while he loves all his filmography, D.P. is his favorite. He's especially fond of it because it brought him many male fans and marked a turning point in his acting career. However, he finds it too painful to watch the final scene of Im Soo-ho in Snowdrop and still gets excited when he sees Seo Joon-hee from Something in the Rain. This shows that he is deeply immersed in his roles. He even said that his MBTI changes depending on his roles, and his personality shifts accordingly. After One Spring Night, he hasn't played many roles where he smiles, and he's mentioned that he would like to take on a more relaxed and cheerful role.

2.5 Miscellaneous

• His smile and gentle eyes are charming, and his delicate yet strong features give him a unique appeal. Despite his small head size, he can pull off almost any hairstyle, even buzz cuts, which are hard for most people to pull off.
• He's known for his loyalty and kindness. He once gifted a foreign car to his manager, who has been with him for six years. He also regularly takes care of fellow actors he has known since before they were famous.
• Though he often plays characters who smoke, he is a non-smoker in real life. #
• Jung Hae-in is known for his strong fan love and great fan service. At stage greetings, he takes selfies with almost everyone who holds out their phone and even goes to the back of the audience to greet and sign autographs. At his 2023 fan meeting in Manila, he quietly wept while watching a fan video. He seems to carefully consider his fans' opinions when choosing future projects and creating content. From the beginning of his career, he has consistently expressed his gratitude to the public and his fans, often saying, "Without the public and fans, there would be no work. I am deeply thankful just for people watching my work."
• He is the epitome of a "bagel man" (baby face with a glamorous body). His face is gentle, but his physique, especially his chest and arms, is impressive. Even in a plain white T-shirt, he looks great. His muscles grew even more when he bulked up for his roles in Snowdrop and D.P., and he even tanned, adding to his masculine appeal.
• He has incredible stamina. While most actors struggle with long post-production recording sessions, Jung Hae-in can go for 6-7 hours without any issues.
• He has a very small head. When taking selfies, he has the sweet habit of holding the camera and positioning his face much closer to the lens.
• He doesn't seem particularly interested in fashion. When spotted in public or seen on his social media, he's often wearing a black baseball cap and neutral-colored casual clothes, which fans jokingly call his "uniform." He claims to have over 40 black baseball caps, each slightly different. Despite his minimalist style, his looks prove that "the face completes the outfit," as even his simple attire looks stylish.
• He uses a Galaxy phone and has always enjoyed taking pictures of landscapes and food with his phone.
• Jung Hae-in said that his personality is most similar to Ahn Jun-ho from D.P. In variety shows and behind-the-scenes footage, he shows a competitive and workaholic side. He's usually firm, pragmatic, and composed, but he often laughs and reacts warmly around colleagues and friends. Those who know him describe him as someone who clearly separates work from personal life, is serious about everything, and is naturally polite and considerate.