Not too long ago, DA MAN had the chance to chat a bit with Jung Woo-Sung. As it happens, the South Korean actor, director and producer—not to mention a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador—is also an Ambassador of Elegance for Longines.
And it also appears that we caught him at a busy time of year. “I am currently focusing on filming the movie ‘Hunt’ that I am starring in,” Jung opened the conversation. “In addition, I am working on the post-production of the Netflix series ‘The Silent Sea’ as a producer and the movie ‘Guardian’ as director.”
Jung’s acting career stretches all the way back to 1994, when he made his debut in the movie “The Fox with Nine Tails.” A year later he made his first TV appearance in “Asphalt Man,” which also earned him his first two accolades: Best New Actor at the 1995 SBS Drama Awards and Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actor— Television in 1996. Going beyond simply appearing in films, in 2000 Jung added directing to his repertoire of skills and in 2015, he delved into the realm of producing.
Still, Jung sees being an actor as the highlight of his career, and it goes deeper than the stardom that comes with it. “As an actor, I learned about the social repercussions and meaning that the work carries with it,” he recalls. “In particular, a few years after the release of the movie ‘Beat,’ I heard many people saying ‘I love motorcycles because of you’ and ‘I like smoking cigarette because of you’ and I felt that the impact of the movie was huge.”
Jung then continues: “So, when I was in my 20s, I tried not to do gangster and noir movies anymore. Rather than settling for the image I had at the time, I wanted to become an actor who communicates with the public and considers the social responsibility of movies.” So, in his own way, Jung Woo-Sung began cultivating a more re ned—or perhaps we could say elegant— approach to his craft.
a Longines clock at the same event
Around three years ago, in what was certainly a most auspicious appointment, Jung joined Longines’ family of Ambassadors of Elegance. “I really liked the philosophy that the brand follows,” he recalls. “When you look at Longines’ products, rather than new and unconventional designs, they have gradually transformed or combined heritage models to suit the times. at’s why the brand’s deep-rooted dignity is contained in the watches.”
His appointment as brand ambassador also sparked Jung’s interest in watches. “A lot of men, as they grow up, would think about inheriting a certain watch from their fathers,” he observes. As it turns out, Jung also has a certain Longines model in mind when we asked him about his favorite timepiece. “I love all of Longines’ watches, but the Longines Legend Diver Watch that I recently wore is impressive,” he replies. “I think it’s a great design that feels simple and not complicated, even with it many lines. is watch also feels that it has been retouched from an old design, but it’s not overdone and retains its old stylishness.”
As our conversation turned to Longines’ famous motto, “Elegance is an Attitude,” Jung uttered the most memorable line from the interview. “The attitude that creates elegance cannot be fabricated,” he says. And in eight simple words, Jung Woo-Sung exquisitely sums up what makes Longines’ watches so special— and also why he was chosen as one of the faces of the storied watchmaker.
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