A man of no regrets: Song Seung Heon

Text: Joanna Goh
Photos: Lee Wei Lin
Video: Fiona Lin

Thoughtful and sincere in conversation, Korean actor Song Seung Heon is what we'd call a man with a good head on his shoulders. Despite being one of the hottest Hallyu commodities around, Seung Heon does not try hard to upkeep with the image of a pristine and perfect man coiffed for Hallyu icons. He acknowledges his flaws and knows his shortcomings, and that, perhaps, is the reason why he feels more endearing in person than on TV.

While most actors, singers and idols strive to become multi-hyphenates and excel in all aspects of showbiz today, Seung Heon's steering clear of the singer route.

"Many have suggested this [doing a music album after singing for Dr. Jin] to me - but I don't sing well," he wryly mused. "This was all made possible with the advanced technology which helped with the audio sound (chuckles). I'm not very confident with my vocals."

Indeed. More popularly known for his melodramatic roles than for his voice, the 36-year-old catapulted to instant - and global - fame with the tearjerker series Autumn in My Heart. The woeful and self-sacrificial role left such an indelible impression in viewers' hearts that he has been affixed with the Mr. Nice Guy label ever since.

Professing his desire to play "killer and psycho" roles in future at the press conference for Dr. Jin, Seung Heon's attempts to flesh out his different sides on screen can be seen with his recent projects: 2011's rom-com vehicle, My Princess and a time-travelling gig in 2012's period drama, Dr. Jin.

When we raised the possibility of traveling back in time to return to his 21-year-old self, Seung Heon shared that he would like to "fully experience student life" again. "I didn't get a chance to try out activities like going on group dates or playing with my friends due to my early start in acting during University."