[Interview] Male Actor Jinha in Women's Hanbok: "Why Do We Have to Wear Suits?"

Apple TV Plus 'Pachinko' Solomon Role
"Asian Americans Living in the US, Starting from My Experience"

Photo by Apple

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "Why do men always have to wear suits at events, and women have to wear beautiful dresses? It's boring. Women's hanbok is just my style. Regardless of identity, it's beautiful."

Korean-American actress Jinha said this during a video interview on the 18th. This was her response to the question of why she wore women's hanbok to the global premiere of the drama "Pachinko," held on the 16th (local time) at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles (LA), USA.

She was confident and stylish. That's right. The idea that only women should wear women's hanbok is outdated. There is no rule that men must wear suits and women must wear dresses at red carpet events, nor is there a rule against it.

Her closely shaved hairstyle paired with a vivid pink jeogori and skirt was striking. Why did she wear a skirt with a jeogori?

Jinha said, "As I got older, I wondered. Does it have to be that way? When I get inspired, I want to wear what I want regardless of my identity."

"I live in New York, USA, and I went far to borrow a hanbok. The color was nice and it fit perfectly. I didn't know, but after the event, I saw that a mugunghwa (rose of Sharon) was drawn on the chest. There were even mugunghwa seeds."

Photo by Apple

Actress Youn Yuh-jung, who was listening nearby, also chimed in. "We gathered that day, and there was a woman wearing hanbok, but Jinha wasn't there. When I asked, 'Isn't Jinha here?' they said she was over there, so I looked around and saw she had shaved her head. I thought, 'Oh my, she must be crazy.'"

Jinha, who graduated from the MFA Acting program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts (NYU Tisch), is currently performing as 'Aaron Burr' in the Broadway musical "Hamilton." She played 'Song Liling' in David Henry Hwang's musical version of "M. Butterfly," and also appeared in Stephen Sondheim's "Road Show" as part of New York City Center's "Encores! Off-Center production."

On TV series, she appeared as 'Augie' in "Love Life," 'Jamie' in Alex Garland's "Devs," and 'Annas' in "Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert."

Jinha plays Solomon, the grandson of Sunja (played by Youn Yuh-jung), in the Apple TV Plus original "Pachinko," which will be released on the 25th. Solomon was born into a Korean immigrant family in Japan and spent his early childhood there, but fled discrimination and went to study in the United States during his adolescence. As an adult, he realizes that his bright future and studies in America were made possible by his family's sacrifices.

"My many experiences living as an Asian in America became the starting point for understanding Solomon. If I had a job other than acting, I think I would be living a similar life. People who lived through that era always carried burdens. We are a generation that has enjoyed many opportunities, but when we came to America, our parents sacrificed. I thought a lot about how to justify their sacrifices."