Park Hae-joon
Park Sang-woo, better known by his stage name, Park Hae-joon, is a South Korean actor. He is internationally recognized for his starring roles in the dramas The World of the Married, The 8 Show, and When Life Gives You Tangerines.
Park started his career in 2005 as a stage actor in Daehangno, later joining the Chaimu theater company in 2010. After making his film debut in 2012, he gained recognition for his role in the independent film 4th Place, earning Best New Actor and Best Actor nominations he Buil Film Awards and Wildflower Film Awards, respectively.
He received further acclaim with a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in Believer at both the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Buil Film Awards. For his role in Kim Sung-su's film 12.12: The Day, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and was inducted into the "Chungmuro 10 Million Viewers Club," a recognition given to actors whose films have sold more than 10 million tickets in South Korea.
Early life and education
Park was born on June 14, 1976, in Busan, South Korea. Initially wanting to become a singer, he became interested in acting during high school and, encouraged by his aunt, applied to the Department of Theater and Film. He was admitted to the second cohort of the Theatre Department at the Korea National University of Arts.Since enrolling in university, Park gained attention for his height and appearance, earning the nicknames "Korea National University of Arts legend" and "second-generation Jang Dong-gun," as Jang was also an alumnus of the same school from the first cohort. Despite these praise, Park expressed that his appearance became a personal insecurity and sometimes affected audience perceptions of his acting.
Park initially struggled to adjust to the college's atmosphere and practical teaching methods. Entering with less preparation than his peers, he often felt inadequate. He frequently missed classes, leading to academic warnings and ultimately withdrawing on the advice of a professor. After completing his mandatory military service, he retook the entrance exam in 2000 and re-enrolled to continue his studies in acting.
During his studies, He participated in various theater productions, often taking minor roles in small theaters in Daehak-ro. His involvement in stage set assembly, as well as lighting and acoustic rehearsals, enhanced his physical endurance and deepened his appreciation for the importance of the stage in acting. He also occasionally appeared as an extra in films.
Career
2000–2011: Beginnings
After graduating from the Korea National University of Arts, Park made his debut in the play Agamemnon at the Seoul Arts Center in 2005. In 2006, he acted in play Forget That Time, which was directed by Lee Jong-seong and starring, produced by Theater Company Chaimu. The following year, he moved to Daehak-ro and appeared in At That Time, Stars Were Falling, adapted and directed by Min Bok-ki from John Cariani's Almost, Maine, also produced by Theater Company Chaimu.Facing challenges securing roles, he formed a theater troupe with friends in a rented practice space in Hongeun-dong, Seoul. Acknowledging his initial struggles with acting, he shifted focus toward experimental performances to explore creative plays, producing numerous works driven by passion. Supported by a grant, Park and a small group of collaborators experimented with diverse performance styles. One notable production was the cabaret play Monster. Financial difficulties led to the theater company’s closure after about three years.
In 2010, Park reconnected with his former college professor, director Yi Sang-woo, and joined his Theater Company Chaimu. Yi organized a performance of John Cariani's play Almost, Maine, in which Park participated. During this production, Yi praised Park on his development as an actor since their university days and advised him to embrace his awkward and clumsy traits. Under Yi's guidance, Park learned to engage more directly with audiences, a skill he found invaluable, as his earlier performances had created a distance between the stage and the audience. Working with Yi played a significant role in boosting Park's confidence as an actor.
2012–2019: Breakthrough
Park's film debut was in Helpless in 2012, a psychological thriller written and directed by Byun Young-joo, based on the novel All She Was Worth by Japanese author Miyabe Miyuki. He played the role of a ruthless loan shark. One memorable scene, shot in a single take, showed Kim Min-hee slapping him. Park mentioned the pressure to get the scene right, calling it a pivotal moment in his career. He later adopted the stage name Park Hae-joon and began his television career with the KBS 2TV drama Jeon Woo-chi, portraying Dae-geun, a street thug involved in a conspiracy against the titular character.In 2013, Park starred in Hwayi: A Monster Boy alongside Yeo Jin-goo and a veteran cast of Chungmuro actors including Kim Yoon-seok, Jo Jin-woong, Kim Sung-kyun, and Jang Hyun-seong. Park's casting was influenced by his performance in Helpless, which impressed the CEO of the production company and director Jang Joon-hwan. In the film, he portrayed Beom-su, one of Hwa-yi's adopted fathers, a sniper with minimal dialogue but effectively building tension in the scenes.In 2014, Park starred in the drama Doctor Stranger as Cha Jin-soo, a North Korean agent. He later gained more fame for his role in the tvN drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life as Manager Cheon Gwan-woong, a character that office workers could relate to. This role marked his first project with director Kim Won-seok.
In 2015, he appeared as a guest in the drama The Missing. He also took on his first leading role in Jung Ji-woo's independent film 4th Place. Park played a coach who, after quitting swimming due to corporal punishment, perpetuates the cycle of violence with his student. This project expanded his acting range and earned him nominations for Best New Actor at the 25th Buil Film Awards and Best Actor at the 4th Wildflower Film Awards. On October 29, 2015, Park attended a press conference at the Daehakro Arts Theater 2 in Seoul to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the theater group Chaimu. In December 2015, he participated in the 4th Chaimu's 20th anniversary play One Fine Day directed by Min Bok-ki, where he played the role of Jeong-hoon.
In 2018, Park collaborated with Kim Won-seok for the second time in the drama My Mister, where he played Gyeom-deok, who left his lover Jeong-hee, portrayed by Oh Na-ra, to be a Buddhist monk. Park's portrayal of the morally ambiguous character was well received. The same year, he starred in the crime action film Believer for which he received Best Supporting Actor nominations at the 27th Buil Film Awards and the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards.
In 2019, Park collaborated with Kim Won-seok for the third time in the drama Arthdal Chronicles, playing the role of Moo-baek, a skilled Daekan warrior known for his exceptional abilities and his kindness and compassion. Park also appeared in four movies that year: Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage, Tune in for Love, Cheer Up, Mr. Lee, and Bring Me Home. His performances once again highlighted his acting versatility in film and television. He also reprised his role as BJ Ka-jun in Theater Company Chaimu's musical Moonlight Fairy and the Girl.
2020–present: Success in film and television
In 2020, Park starred in JTBC's drama The World of the Married, which achieved a nationwide rating of 28.371% for its final episode, making it the highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history at the time of airing. He was called the "Nation's Cheater" by media. Initially, Park declined to participate in the series, expressing concerns about his ability to effectively portray the role effectively. He felt unsure about capturing the necessary intensity, especially with little time to prepare. As a family man, he also grappled with conflicting moral values. Ultimately, he accepted the role after director Byun Young-joo encouraged him to seize the opportunity to work with Kim Hee-ae.In 2021, Park starred in Netflix's horror-thriller The 8th Night as Kim Ho-tae, a homicide detective. He also appeared in Han Jae-rim's disaster film Emergency Declaration as Park Tae-su. The film was invited to the out of competition section at the 74th Cannes Film Festival as well as the 55th Sitges Film Festival.In 2022, he starred in TVING's I Have Not Done My Best Yet, portraying an unemployed father of two.
In 2023, Park returned to the big screen in Kim Sung-su's film 12.12: The Day, alongside Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung, Lee Sung-min, and Kim Sung-kyun. Set against the backdrop of the December 12, 1979, military coup, the film was released theatrically on November 22, 2023, with Park playing the role of Major General Roh Tae-gun, based on Roh Tae-woo. The film grossed $97 million worldwide against a $17 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing Korean film of 2023 and the fourth-highest-grossing Korean film of all time. Park was inducted into the "Chungmuro 10 Million Viewers Club," a recognition given to actors whose films have sold more than 10 million tickets in South Korea, and received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for his performance.
In 2024, Park collaborated for the second time with Han Jae-rim on the Netflix black comedy series The 8 Show, based on the Naver webtoons Money Game and Pie Game by Bae Jin-soo. The series depicts the story of eight participants, each occupying one floor in an eight-story building, as they navigate a high-stakes environment where they must cooperate and antagonize each other. The game concludes when a death occurs. Park portrayed Tae-seok, a participant from the Sixth Floor. The 8 Show was released on Netflix on May 17, 2024, and received generally positive reviews.
In January 2024, Park was confirmed for the fourth collaboration with Kim Won-seok for Netflix's series When Life Gives You Tangerines. He played the role of middle-aged Yang Gwan-sik, with Park Bo-gum portraying the younger version. The series was released in March 2025. To authentically portray the elderly Gwan-shik battling cancer, Park undertook a rigorous weight loss process. Starting two weeks before filming hospital scenes, he combined dietary adjustments, aerobic exercise, and half-body baths. He adopted a martial arts-style regimen, initially drinking three liters of water daily for about ten days before drastically reducing intake to 500 ml, resulting in a 7–8 kg loss within a week. Although this left him feeling weak, the method helped him achieve the gaunt appearance needed for the role. To maintain continuity, he ask the director to film multiple scenes requiring this look in a single day.
Park's portrayal as a devoted husband and father garnered positive feedback, leading to a surge in searches for his name and the keyword "father" in South Korea, Asia, and Latin America. This led to the creation of the "Gwan-sik-byeong" meme, as well as trending keywords like "gray short padding," an item he wore, and "my own Gwan-shik," where netizens shared stories of fathers or husbands reminiscent of his character. Yang Gwan-sik became an idealized representation of fatherhood, earning the title "Nation's Father."
Following this, Park starred in Hwang Byeong-guk's crime thriller film Yadang: The Snitch playing a tenacious drug investigator. Hwang cast Park as narcotics detective Oh Sang-jae after previously working with him during the filming of 12.12: The Day. Press praised his ability to seamlessly transition between contrasting roles on both the small and big screens, demonstrating his versatility as an actor.
Park back to the small screen as main protagonist of Yoo Je-won's tvN's drama Love, Take Two. He plays Ryu Jeong-seok, a renowned architect who has won an international architecture award and is the single father of Bo-hyeon. He is also the first love of Yum Jung-ah's character. Park also made a special appearance in the Netflix series Aema, playing a reporter named Lee, who harasses the main character, Shin Joo-ae. He received acclaim for expanding his acting range by taking on a character that is the complete opposite of his affectionate husband portrayal in When Life Gives You Tangerines and his warm, middle-aged image in Love, Take Two. The director noted that his appearance shocked the audience.
His next project will be the Disney+ original series Tempest, a spy romance television series written by Jeong Seo-kyeong and directed by Kim Hee-won. Park joined an ensemble cast led by Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won along with John Cho, Lee Mi-sook, Kim Hae-sook, Yoo Jae-myung, Oh Jung-se, Lee Sang-hee, Joo Jong-hyuk, and Won Ji-an. It is scheduled for release on Disney+ and Hulu on September 10, 2025.