Wi Ha-joon reflects on post-'Squid Game' overseas fame: 'I've always been more popular with men'

Actor Wi Ha-joon recently touched the topic of his soaring popularity among overseas viewers since his breakout role in ‘Squid Game’. In a candid discussion released on May 14 by the YouTube channel ‘Hong Seok-cheon’s Jewel Box’, Wi Ha-joon shared insights into his past and present fame.
Reflecting on his school days, Wi Ha-joon revealed, "I wasn’t popular at all.I didn’t know how to smile like this. I was just really quiet and didn’t talk", as quoted by Kbizoom. Host Hong Seok-cheon chimed in, humorously suggesting, "That’s because you’re blind. Boys like him better", a sentiment Wi Ha-joon concurred with, admitting, "Yes, but I’ve always been more popular with men. In the military and in school".
Discussing his post-’Squid Game’ reception, Wi Ha-joon confessed to curiosity regarding his appeal to foreign male audiences, saying, “Even when I did ‘Squid Game’, a lot of foreign men liked me. So I was curious, ‘What is it about me that appeals to them?’”.
Hong Seok-cheon provided his insights, praising Wi Ha-joon's masculine features and particularly emphasizing his ‘manly face’ and ‘sexy Asian eyes’. He explained, “First of all, you have a manly face. And especially from a foreign perspective, you have these really sexy Asian eyes. The cheek and the chin, these lines themselves are very strong. And your smile. If you don’t have this, you might be a little bit evil. When you laugh, it melts men, women, gays, everybody”.