Interview: Kang Ha-neul takes an obnoxious turn

Korea Herald

19-03-2025

Korea's beloved good guy transformed into an insufferable streamer in high-octane thriller 'Streaming'
In an industry where reputations are meticulously cultivated, Kang Ha-neul stands apart. Stories of his kindness border on the mythical — the actor reportedly memorizes the names of every crew member, lavishes staff with thoughtful gifts and apologizes profusely to fans he cannot accommodate.
His roles have largely aligned with this personality: The earnest professional Jang Baek-ki in "Misaeng" (2014), endearing police officer Hwang Yong-sik in "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019) and the goofy, good-natured Dae-ho in the second season of "Squid Game."
But in "Streaming," opening Friday, Kang ditches virtue entirely. With slicked-back hair, flashy suits, ice on his wrist and showy arm tattoos, his character Woo-sang is a true creature of the attention economy.
As Korea's top livestreamer focused on crime stories, Woo-sang operates in a ruthless ecosystem where only the highest-ranked creator pockets all sponsorship earnings. When he stumbles upon a clue to the notorious serial killer case, Woo-sang scrambles to reclaim his top position, broadcasting his investigation in real time — only to discover the killer has been watching his stream all along.
"Honestly, I couldn't relate to Woo-sang at all," Kang tells reporters at a cafe in Seoul's Samcheong-dong, with the easy warmth of someone chatting with old friends. "But I get why someone would lose their mind over that kind of cash. If billions of won were suddenly flowing in, a guy like Woo-sang might absolutely crack. It just shows how hollow he is inside."
The character's exaggerated bravado was largely Kang's invention. The original screenplay portrayed a more subdued, conventional figure, but Kang pushed for something bolder.
"The Woo-sang in the initial script wasn't nearly this obnoxious," he says. "During test shoots, I played him as the director originally envisioned — ordinary hair, black suit with white shirt and black tie. But I realized viewers would be watching this character for the entire film, and I thought giving him stronger characteristics might make things more interesting. So I started thinking: 'How can we turn it up a notch?'"
After mid-production discussions with the crew, Kang cranked up the sleaze factor, a gutsy choice that more or less pays off for a film hell-bent on exposing the raw underbelly of internet culture. The 91-minute thriller hinges almost entirely on Kang's portrayal of a fame-hungry clout chaser. He dominates the screen for roughly 90 percent of the runtime, offering what amounts to a bona fide one-man show.
While its premise as a thriller doesn't quite stick the landing, the film does offer formal innovations worth noting. Particularly it uses extended one-take shots to capture the immediacy of livestreaming. For most actors, such prolonged sequences with dense dialogue would prove daunting, but Kang, a seasoned theater performer, found himself in familiar territory.
"Film and TV scripts typically have short dialogue exchanges — four or five lines at most," he says. "But when I received this script, it was just 'Woo-sang, Woo-sang, Woo-sang' filling the pages. Reading it felt like studying a play script. Since I've done theater and musicals regularly, it occurred to me that I could approach this film like a stage performance."
The primary challenge, naturally, was conveying the immediacy of the livestream format. Kang shared how he reveled in playing with the temporal differences between theater and film.
"Ten minutes on stage is nothing, but 10 minutes on camera is entirely different," he says. "In film, if there's no dialogue for just three seconds, it feels like something's gone wrong. It creates discomfort because viewers aren't used to it.
"I thought I should maybe make use of those uncomfortable moments — adding extra dialogue in some places, intentional silence in others. I believe the tension and liveness of streaming flows from that discomfort."
Worlds away from the clout chaser he portrays, Kang is a self-proclaimed super-introvert who barely leaves his home. He doesn't have a social media account and rarely touches his phone once he gets home. Even his appearance in the second season of the global phenomenon "Squid Game" has left him largely untouched.
"I honestly haven't felt any change," he says when asked about his rising international profile. "I rarely leave my house, so I wouldn't know. People occasionally tell me they enjoyed 'Squid Game,' but that's about it."
Despite his success, Kang sometimes feels his celebrity status rests awkwardly on his shoulders.
"It's not exactly pressure or stress," he reflects. "But I often think this might not be the perfect fit for me. Especially during the 'Squid Game' promotions with all those people and cameras — it felt as if every camera in Korea was there. That's when I thought this isn't quite my ideal outfit."
He offers a simple philosophy that cuts through his star status: "I just want to live naturally. If I can't find my own happiness, I won't be happy no matter what important work I'm doing. My happiness and peace of mind come first."