Actor Jung Woo-sung Embraces Social, Professional Challenges

Actor Jung Woo-sung has evolved from celebrity to social activist without neglecting his artistic career.

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He was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 2015 and has paid for his own trips to refugee camps in Nepal, South Sudan and Lebanon while raising awareness of the plight of displaced people.

Jung published an essay on refugees in June last year titled "If You Could See What I've Seen", which has sold some 20,000 copies. The book is set to hit stores in Taiwan on Saturday, which marks World Refugee Day.

"Refugees face major difficulties due to the spread of coronavirus", Jung said. "This is a difficult time for everyone, but I urge everyone to consider their plight too".

Jung has both been lauded for his compassion and criticized for idealism. But the actor says he will continue. "In the past, I think I tried to express my views out of a desire to show off, but now I'm trying to influence the public by becoming a better person myself and setting a good example".

The heartthrob rose to fame with the 1997 movie "Beat" and has starred in many others since then. "I didn't just want to be a star and have been searching for new roles to play to evolve as an actor", Jung said. "Some people might think that I was lost, but for me it was a process of finding out who I am through constant challenges".

And the evolution continues. Now he is directing his first movie, "A Man of Reason", and also stars alongside Kim Nam-gil and Park Sung-woong. "I realized over the last few years that the only way to remain valuable and retain your reputation is through ceaseless self-renewal", he said.