Kim Ha-neul (; February 21, 1990), known professionally as Kang Ha-neul (), is a South Korean actor. He gained early recognition through television dramas Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014) and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), receiving critical acclaim for When the Camellia Blooms (2019) which earned him the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actor. He gained international recognition for his role in the second and third seasons of Squid Game (2024–2025). Known as a prolific Chungmu-ro actor, Kang has also starred in the films Twenty (2015), Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet (2016), New Trial (2017), Midnight Runners (2017), Forgotten (2017), Love Reset (2023), and Yadang: The Snitch (2025).
Early life and education Kang was born Kim Ha-neul in Busan, South Korea, the eldest of two brothers. His parents were both former theater actors; his father graduated from the Seoul Institute of the Arts, and his mother graduated from the Department of Theater and Film at Kyungsung University. His mother also previously worked as a fashion model.
Kang developed an interest in the performing arts during middle school. Although theater was a familial presence from a young age, his direct involvement began during his second year of middle school when he participated in a church theater production of A Bowl of Udon as a prop team member. He later recounted a strong emotional response, including crying, during the curtain call.
Kang's initial exposure to television entertainment occurred in 2005 when he and his father were featured on the KBS1 , where they achieved three consecutive wins in the family singing contest. The program's host, announcer Lee Geum-hee, later remarked that their performance was particularly memorable.
Kang initially attended a regular high school, where he joined the acting club. Upon expressing his intent to pursue acting professionally, he received full support from his parents. To focus on his artistic development, he subsequently transferred to the , where he majored in music and theater. Kang was independent from a young age, having worked part-time consistently since middle school. His need to earn his own tuition following his move from Busan made him continue as a part-timer. This experience is cited as contributing to the development of his perceptiveness.
Career
2006–2010: Beginnings Kang began his acting career in musical theatre using his birth name, Kim Ha-neul. His stage debut occurred in 2006 at the age of sixteen with the musical The Celestial Watch, during his first year of high school. Securing a lead role in his first musical reportedly led to the development of stage fright. A teacher advised him regarding the constraints of the stage, stating: "There is no place to hide on the stage. You either win and take control, or you lose and give up." This advice prompted Kang to relearn basic skills in acting, like walking, hand movement, and speaking to overcome his anxieties.
In 2007, at the age of seventeen, Kang secured a main lead role in the KBS Sunday drama . For his first scene, which involved playing baseball—a sport he was unfamiliar with—he dedicated a week to practicing at a batting cage. His preparation resulted in a performance that garnered praise from the director. He was cast as Choi Hoon, a popular high school student noted for his academic achievement and appearance, a role for which he was selected from approximately 800 candidates."It was a transitional period for me. I didn't feel ready for the acting, and I didn't like being thrust into the public eye through the drama. I really wanted to learn more by doing theater. So even as I was auditioning for My Mom! Super Mom!, I kept wanting to do theater. In the end, after the audition, I called the director and politely asked them if they could let me drop out, as I didn't want to do it."Despite this unusual refusal from a novice actor, the director persuaded Kang to accept the role. Kang ultimately concluded that his hesitation stemmed from personal insecurity rather than dissatisfaction with the genre. Driven by a sense of responsibility to his supporters, he committed to the project with the determination to exceed his limitations and enhance his skills. Following the completion of the drama, however, he returned to the stage. He successfully auditioned for and was cast as Lee Il in the musical Carpe Diem.
In 2007, Kang made a comeback to television by joining the cast of the KBS daily rural drama , portraying Kang Jong-hee, the head family's youngest son.
Having already begun his professional career before pursuing higher education, he enrolled at Chung-Ang University as a theatre and film major in 2008. He subsequently took an extended leave of absence from his studies to focus on his acting commitments.
In 2009, Kang was cast as an understudy for the musical Thrill Me, performing the role of Richard on April 10 and 17. That same year, he successfully auditioned for the rock musical Spring Awakening. From June 30, 2009, to January 10, 2010, Kang played the role of Ernst in Spring Awakening, appearing in a cast that included Jo Jung-suk and Kang Mu-yeol (double cast as Moritz), as well as Joo Won (as Melchior). Despite cast changes and absences among his colleagues, Kang performed in every show, totaling 266 performances, a challenging yet fulfilling experience for him.
Actor Hwang Jung-min who had observed Kang's performance in Thrill Me, recruited him for Sam Company immediately following the conclusion of Spring Awakening. Founded by Hwang and his wife in 2010, Kang became the agency's second signed actor after Hwang. That same year, Kang was admitted to the 50th Batch of the Theater Department at Chung-Ang University. Consequently, his character in Hometown Over the Hill was written out of the drama's storyline, departing to pursue further studies in Seoul. Kang returned to the musical Thrill Me, this time taking on the role of Nathan, having previously played Richard in 2009. His performance as Nathan was critically assessed as dominating the stage due to his stable emotional portrayal, breath control, and vocalization.
Also in 2010, Kang successfully auditioned for Lee Joon-ik's film Battlefield Heroes. The film is a sequel to Lee's earlier work, Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield, and focuses on the Silla–Tang Allied Forces' campaign to attack Goguryeo's Pyongyang fortress. Kang was cast as Namsan, the youngest son of Yeon Gaesomun of Goguryeo, who is depicted as conflicted between his two older brothers' opposing stances on negotiation versus warfare."I'm still grateful to director Lee Joon-ik for making my first set so beautiful. One day after filming, we were drinking together when he suddenly asked me and [Lee] Kwang-soo to be friends. I said, "Director, how dare we be friends with you?" He replied, "Why? Foreigners are friends with everyone, even their grandparents and children, so why can't we be friends?" Because of that connection, even after Battlefield Heroes was finished, I would go to the director's office to hang out and drink with him. It was so nice."Kang also secured a supporting role through audition in the film You're My Pet (2011), which starred actress Kim Ha-neul. He was cast as Yang Young-soo, a musical actor and a friend of the male lead, In-ho (played by Jang Keun-suk), who is responsible for guiding In-ho in matters of love. In November 2010, he formally adopted the stage name Kang Ha-neul, replacing his birth name, Kim Ha-neul, to prevent confusion with the actress Kim Ha-neul.
2011–2014: New stage name, film debut, and breakthrough roles in television
The year 2011 marked his new beginning as an actor under the stage name Kang Ha-neul. He was credited with this new stage name for his debut film, Battlefield Heroes, which was released in January of that year. In September 2011, Kang appeared as Eunuch Gu-dong in the musical Prince Puzzle. The production, written by Han A-reum and directed by Seo Jae-hyeong of Jukdorok Dalinda, was notable for being staged within the Sungjeongjeon hall of Gyeonghuigung rather than a conventional theatre. Kang noted, "I chose this work because I wanted to work hard until I die." Kang initially believed he was being offered the role of the Crown Prince in Prince Puzzle; Kang described his role as physically demanding. Noticing his exhaustion, the stage manager advised him to read audience reviews for motivation, implying the production's critical success. Director Lee Joon-ik attended a performance and praised Kang's acting, stating, "You're really good, as expected."Prince Puzzle:
In 2012, Kang was cast in the original musical Black Mary Poppins, produced by Kim Soo-ro. Written, directed, and composed by Seo Youn-mi, a rising dramatist in Daehangno, the thriller was inspired by the Mary Poppins series by P. L. Travers. The musical centered on a 1930s German mansion fire incident involving four siblings. Kang was double-cast alongside Jeon Sung-woo as Hermann, the second son and a painter holding a crucial clue to the case. Jung Sang-yoon and Jang Hyun-duk were double-cast for the role of Hans. Other cast members included Jang Seung-jo, Yoon Na-moo, and Lim Kang-hee.
In November 2012, Kang participated in the third Korean production of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins, performing alongside Hwang Jung-min. For Kang, participation in a Sondheim work fulfilled a long-held dream, despite the challenging nature of the complex melodies and unusual time signatures. He played the dual roles of the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald. The production ran at the Yonkang Hall of Doosan Art Center until February 3, 2013. That same year, Kang also returned to the small screen, starring in the television dramas To the Beautiful You (2012) as Min Hyeon-jae, a high jumper who develops a rivalry with the male lead.
In 2013, he was cast as the lead character Jeong Seon-woo in the Mnet's music drama Monstar, directed by Kim Won-seok. The role required him to learn to play the cello, bass guitar, and contrabass. He dedicated himself to practicing these instruments, sacrificing rest by only sleeping for an hour or 30 minutes. Despite the challenges, he was grateful for the director's faith in him and the praise for his efforts. Following the conclusion of Monstar, Kang made a special appearance in the MBC drama Two Weeks as Kang Seong-jun, the autistic son of Jo Seo-hee (played by Kang Hye-ok).
He then took on the role of Lee Jun-kyung, an illegitimate son of low yangban status, in the MBC Drama Festival one-act drama Unrest, which aired on October 3. His character pursued the truth behind an unjust death, allowing Kang to portray the anguish caused by the Joseon Dynasty's caste system. Kang's portrayal was praised for showcasing his talent through nuanced facial expressions and emotional depth, effectively conveying the character's inner conflict and grief.
In July 2013, Kang secured a supporting role in writer Kim Eun-sook's drama The Heirs (2013), playing Lee Hyo-sin, the charismatic tsundere son of the Prosecutor General and the student council president of Imperial High School. He starred alongside Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-hye, Krystal, Kim Woo-bin, Kim Ji-won, and Park Hyung-sik. Kang had his first onscreen kiss scene in the drama. The Heirs achieved significant success, with domestic ratings peaking at 28.6% and accumulating over one billion views on the Chinese streaming platform IQIYI, leading to widespread recognition for Kang.