Credit: SBS Star
Actor Jang Keun Suk shared his thoughts on being called ‘Prince of Asia’ until this day.
On April 4, Jang Keun Suk had an interview with the press to speak about making a comeback for the first time after five years.
Regarding his long hiatus, Jang Keun Suk said, “During the 5-year break, a lot of people asked me why I wasn’t returning to the industry. I was serving my national mandatory duty at first, so I told them, ‘Well, I’m fulfilling my military service at the moment, so I can’t.’ for the first two years.”
He continued, “For some time after I completed my service, my answer to the same question was, ‘It hasn’t been long since I’ve been discharged from the military, so…’ But as the break extended, it was hard for me to find a good explanation, so I tried to avoid getting those kinds of questions as much as I could. Five years isn’t a short time, and I was aware of that, you know.”
But it was the break that he needed, he explained, “I’ve been in the industry for over 30 years, but I’d never taken a break until then. I felt like it was about time I got some. It was definitely nice to take some time off and just have the time to myself.”
Then, the interviewers mentioned his return being referred to as “the return of ‘Prince of Asia'” even after five years, and asked how he felt about that.
Jang Keun Suk shook with laughter upon hearing ‘Prince of Asia’, then commented, “‘Prince of Asia’ and ‘Keun chan’ are the two top nicknames that I have. I was the one who referred to myself as ‘Prince of Asia’ when I was younger. Back then, I went around telling everyone, ”Prince of Asia’? That’s me.'”
“I’m not embarrassed by it though. It’s too late to feel embarrassed about anyway, don’t you think?”, he laughed out loud following his remark.
The actor carried on to express his thoughts, “I feel a lot more familiar and comfortable to be called ‘Keun chan’, because my fans gave me that nickname. It’s a name that I’m really used to being called.”
As he wrapped up the topic, Jang Keun Suk said, “I’m not ashamed of those names that I have, but I do feel like I’m too old to be called ‘Prince of Asia’ or ‘Keun chan’. It’s not like I’m that young now. So, I’m like, ‘Perhaps, it’s time for me to get myself out of the names.'”
With a big smile, he added, “But at the same time, I feel like I become this little prince whenever I’m being called like that, so maybe they’re good things to keep in life.”
(Credit= Coupang Play, ‘_asia_prince_jks’ Instagram)
(SBS Star)