Zo In-sung's 2023 beard comments resurface after 3 years

Zo In-sung's past SNS comments are drawing renewed attention after the release of the film 'Hope'. Recent posts on online communities and SNS have been sharing a 2023 post and replies that Zo left on his own account.

In October 2023, Zo posted photos from his appearance at the 13th Beautiful Artist Awards, held at Stage 28 in Seoul's Gangdong District. His longer beard, which differed from his usual look, drew attention at the time.

One commenter wrote on Zo's post, 'You look great. You look great, but someone needs to pay you as soon as possible.' Zo replied, 'I did it because I was paid.' When another fan wrote, 'Oppa, shave while I am asking nicely,' Zo answered, 'I still cannot, even if you say it harshly.' He then added, 'It will make sense when you see the project later.'

At the time, there were many reactions questioning why Zo was keeping the beard. After 'Hope' opened on July 15, the reason became clear: in the film, Zo plays Sung-ki, a hunter who does anything for money, and appears with a bearded look.

Online users who saw the connection have responded with comments including 'The setup finally paid off' and 'It was because of Hope.'

'Hope', which opened on July 15, is Na Hong-jin's first film in 10 years since 'The Wailing'. The film follows Bum-seok, played by Hwang Jung-min, the head of a Hope Harbor outpost in the Demilitarized Zone, as he hears from local young men that a tiger has appeared and faces a hard-to-believe reality while the village falls into confusion.