What did Park Hae-il say Tang Wei was doing when he first visited her before Decision to Leave?

Park said Tang Wei was working in a field wearing farm pants and a straw hat. He said she also cooked for him and director Park Chan-wook using produce she had harvested herself.

Why did Tang Wei inspire Park Hae-il to start vegetable gardening?

Park said the visit changed his impression of Tang Wei because she seemed far more unassuming than the polished image he expected from her cosmetics commercial appearances. That experience made him think, Maybe I should try this too, and he began growing vegetables at home.

How did Decision to Leave raise Tang Wei’s profile internationally?

Park said Tang Wei’s role in Decision to Leave further raised her profile among global audiences. The film also drew widespread international acclaim and competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Tang Wei's down-to-earth side: 'Decision to Leave' co-star recalls her farming in baggy pants

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Summary

Park Hae-il said Tang Wei was unexpectedly down-to-earth when he visited her set in a field in loose pants and a straw hat. He recalled that she inspired him to start vegetable gardening after cooking with produce she had harvested herself. The story came up on the 156th episode of Salon Drip, released Tuesday on the TEO channel. Park and Tang co-starred in Park Chan-wook’s 2022 film Decision to Leave.

Key Facts

Park shared the story on the 156th episode of the YouTube talk show Salon Drip, released Tuesday on the TEO channel.
He said Tang Wei had previously appeared in cosmetics commercials, which made him expect a more modern image.
Tang Wei cooked for Park and director Park Chan-wook using produce she had harvested herself.
Decision to Leave featured Park Hae-il as a detective and Tang Wei as the enigmatic widow at the center of his investigation and emotions.
The film earned widespread international acclaim and competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

By Xportsnews

Published Sep 23, 2026 1:49 pm KST

Chinese actor Tang Wei may be known for her sophisticated screen presence and glamorous image, but her "Decision to Leave" co-star Park Hae-il says the star he encountered off camera was strikingly down-to-earth — working in a field in loose-fitting farm pants and a straw hat.

Park shared the unexpected story about Tang during an appearance with actor Yoo Hae-jin on the 156th episode of the YouTube talk show "Salon Drip," released Tuesday on the TEO channel.

When host Jang Do-yeon asked Park about the vegetable garden at his home, the actor said it was Tang who had inspired him to start growing his own produce.

Park and Tang starred together in acclaimed Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook's 2022 romantic mystery "Decision to Leave," in which Park Hae-il played a detective investigating the death of a man whose enigmatic widow, played by Tang, becomes the focus of both his investigation and his emotions.

Park Hae-il said he first visited Tang after she had been cast in the film, accompanying director Park Chan-wook to meet her.

Park Hae-il / Captured from YouTube channel 'Salon Drip' — Park Hae-il / Captured from YouTube channel "Salon Drip"

Before the visit, he had a very different picture of what Tang would be like.

"As I remember it, Tang Wei had done cosmetics commercials before, so she had this modern image, you know?" Park said.

What he encountered upon arrival caught him by surprise.

"But when we got there, there she was, wearing farm pants and working the field," he said. "She was wearing a straw hat, and she even cooked for us using produce she had harvested herself."

The scene revealed an unassuming side of Tang that contrasted sharply with the polished image Park had associated with her.

The experience apparently left enough of an impression on him to change his own lifestyle.

"I thought, 'Maybe I should try this too,'" Park said, explaining that his encounter with Tang eventually led him to take up vegetable gardening himself.

Tang, one of China's most internationally recognized actors, has appeared in films including Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution." Her performance opposite Park Hae-il in "Decision to Leave" further raised her profile among global audiences as the film earned widespread international acclaim and competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

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