SINGAPORE – If you find yourself always packing more than you need for a trip, South Korean actress Mun Ka-young gets it.
The 27-year-old K-drama star, who was in town on March 27 to unveil Tumi’s Asra women’s bag collection as the international travel and lifestyle brand’s newest global celebrity ambassador, says she is a pack-it-just-in-case kind of traveller.
Sitting down with local media at Capella Singapore hotel before the event, she says: “If you know MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), I’m a J-type, so I’m the kind of person who plans everything beforehand. I cannot just buy something I need after I reach my destination. I need to prepare everything before I leave.
“For example, medicine. I might not need it, but I pack it just in case, and that makes me feel happy and comfortable.”
MBTI is a popular personality tool, and those who test as J-types (Judging) like to consider their options ahead of time and enjoy sticking with the plan instead of going with the flow.
Mun adds: “I usually take along two (pieces of) luggage with me because I’d rather over-prepare than under-prepare.”
So what are her travel must-haves?
“My earphones because I love listening to music. And this special face mask that has a slot to put a piece of wet tissue in it. Sometimes the air in the hotel or the airport can be a little dry, so it keeps (my throat) from going dry,” she says.
To keep everything she needs by her side, the Germany-born beauty loves toting a generously sized bag, like Tumi’s Large Hobo, which is part of the Asra collection.
Mun – best known for K-dramas such as True Beauty (2020 to 2021), Link: Eat, Love, Kill (2022) and The Interest Of Love (2022 to 2023) – kick-started her career as a child actress at the age of 10. As a teen, she had roles in series like Friend, Our Legend (2009) and The Reputable Family (2010).
While she did not spend as much time as her peers hanging out in school, she says she would not change a thing about her youth.
“I want to tell my younger self: ‘You’re doing great.’ I have no regrets, even though I have fewer memories about my days in school compared with other people. I know I tried my best to enjoy myself and make the most out of it. So even if I could go back to the past, I’d still do everything I did,” she says.
She recently starred in the music video for Falling Slowly, a solo release by K-pop boy band BigBang’s vocalist Daesung, alongside her Welcome To Waikiki 2 (2019) co-star Kim Seon-ho. She is also an author, having just released a book of essays in Korean which explores her inner thoughts.
While her work schedule is packed, Mun does dream of taking off on a holiday – and was even inspired by her Singapore stay.
“Usually when I’m on vacation, I like to walk around the city. But yesterday, I went to Tanjong Beach and took a brief walk there. That was when I realised, ‘Oh, I’d love to have a relaxing holiday where I don’t have any plans. I’d just sit down by the beach and relax with a book.’”
Sunny beaches aside, what else does she like to do in Singapore?
She says: “I would love to go to Universal Studios Singapore, even though I have been there before, because I love buying all the stuffed toys and souvenirs. And I enjoy chilli crab so much, I would like to eat it every day.”
