Kang Ha-neul

Kang Ha-neul, born Kim Ha-neul on February 21, 1990, in Busan, South Korea, is an actor known for his work across stage, television, and film. He earned early recognition in television dramas such as Misaeng: Incomplete Life and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, eventually winning a Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actor for When the Camellia Blooms. He achieved international visibility through his role in the second and third seasons of Squid Game. Over his career, he has also starred in notable feature films, including Twenty, Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet, New Trial, Midnight Runners, Forgotten, Love Reset, and Yadang: The Snitch.

Raised as the older of two brothers, Kang grew up in a family connected to the arts. His father graduated from the Seoul Institute of the Arts, and his mother studied theater and film at Kyungsung University in addition to working as a fashion model. Kang discovered his interest in performing during middle school while working on the prop crew for a church play. In 2005, he and his father appeared on the KBS1 program Morning Garden, winning three straight weeks in a family singing contest. To focus on his training, he transferred to the National Traditional Arts High School to major in music and theater, later enrolling at Chung-Ang University.

Kang began his professional career on stage in 2006, debuting in the musical The Celestial Watch using his birth name. In 2007, he made his television debut in the series My Mom! Super Mom! after being chosen from nearly 800 candidates, followed by a role in the daily drama Hometown Over the Hill. He continued acting on stage in productions such as Carpe Diem, Thrill Me, and Spring Awakening, appearing in 266 shows for the latter. In 2010, actor Hwang Jung-min signed Kang to Sam Company. That year, Kang was cast in his debut film, Battlefield Heroes, and adopted the stage name Kang Ha-neul to avoid confusion with an established actress sharing his name.

Between 2011 and 2013, Kang expanded his stage credits with Prince Puzzle, Black Mary Poppins, and Assassins, while appearing on television in To the Beautiful You, Monstar, Two Weeks, and Unrest. He gained significant public attention in late 2013 portraying student council president Lee Hyo-sin in the widely viewed drama The Heirs.

In 2014, Kang received the New Star Award at the SBS Drama Awards for Angel Eyes, starred in his first lead feature film Mourning Grave, and won a Cable TV Broadcasting Awards Popularity Award for his role in Misaeng: Incomplete Life. The following year, he made his two-hander theatrical debut playing Harold opposite Park Jeong-ja in Harold and Maude at the National Theater of Korea.