SEOUL — Tang Wei may be known internationally for her elegant screen presence, but actor Park Hae-il has revealed a very different side of the Chinese star—one involving farm work, loose work pants, a straw hat and vegetables grown at home.
Park shared the story while appearing on the 156th episode of the Korean web talk show “Salon Drip,” released Tuesday on the TEO YouTube channel. The actors previously worked together in Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed 2022 film Decision to Leave.
Park expected a glamorous movie star
Park recalled meeting Tang after director Park Chan-wook suggested that they visit her following her casting in Decision to Leave.
Before the meeting, Park said his impression of Tang had largely been shaped by her appearances in cosmetics advertising, giving him an expectation of a polished, modern celebrity.
Instead, he encountered something completely different.
Park said Tang was wearing loose-fitting farm clothes and working in a field when he arrived. She was also wearing a straw hat while tending the land.
The unexpected scene left a lasting impression on him.
Tang cooked with vegetables she harvested herself
The surprise reportedly continued after the farm work.
Park said Tang prepared food for him and director Park Chan-wook using produce she had harvested herself.
The story came up after “Salon Drip” host Jang Do-yeon asked Park about the vegetable garden he maintains at home. Park explained that his own interest in gardening was partly inspired by his experience with Tang.
Rather than simply being an amusing celebrity anecdote, the encounter apparently influenced Park’s own daily life.
He said seeing Tang cultivate and use her own produce made him think that he should try gardening himself.
Tang Wei inspired Park to start gardening
Park subsequently began growing vegetables himself.
According to ChosunBiz, his garden eventually expanded beyond basic crops such as lettuce and green onions to include kale and other plants. Park even joked about being particularly confident when it comes to growing apple mint.
The revelation offers an unusual glimpse into the private, everyday side of a performer whose public image has often been associated with fashion, cinema and international stardom.
Their Decision to Leave connection
Tang Wei and Park Hae-il starred opposite each other in Decision to Leave, directed by Park Chan-wook.
Released in 2022, the film follows detective Hae-jun, played by Park, as he investigates the death of a man and becomes increasingly drawn to the man’s mysterious widow, Seo-rae, played by Tang.
The film received major international recognition and competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Tang’s performance helped cement her connection with Korean cinema audiences, while the film became one of the most internationally recognized Korean productions of its period.
A different picture of a global star
Park’s story has attracted attention because of the contrast between Tang’s public image and the person he encountered away from the camera.
Instead of a highly polished celebrity setting, he remembered seeing Tang doing ordinary agricultural work and preparing food from ingredients she had grown herself.
Korean media outlets including Newsis, StarNews and ChosunBiz have reported substantially the same account from Park’s appearance on “Salon Drip.”
The anecdote does not establish that farming is Tang’s full-time lifestyle, but it does provide a firsthand account from a co-star who visited her before filming Decision to Leave.
For fans familiar with Tang primarily through her films and advertising work, Park’s memory offers a striking behind-the-scenes glimpse of an actress who, at least on that occasion, was more comfortable in a field than under studio lights.
And perhaps the biggest twist is that the encounter did not just change Park’s impression of Tang—it helped inspire him to grow a garden of his own.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
