It wasn’t until 2012 that South Korean actor Park Hae-soo received an opportunity for his first screen part in the television series God of War after beginning his career as a stage performer. The actor was having trouble establishing a reputation for himself because he had been intermittently appearing in small supporting roles in various films and TV shows. His part in the wildly acclaimed Korean series Prison Playbook is what eventually earned him attention. Park had the kickstart he required from this concert.
Currently, everyone recognises him as Berlin in the South Korean adaptation of Money Heist and Cho Sang-woo in Netflix’s Squid Game. Having said that, Park has joined a U.S. talent agency, so we can certainly anticipate hearing more from him. Below are the actor’s top films and television shows to date.
By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture (2019)
Park, Seo Yea-ji, and Kim Sang-ho play the main characters in this drama. owing to quantum physics A Nightlife Venture is a crime movie from South Korea. Club owner Lee Chan-woo, club manager Seong Eun-yeong, and police reporter Park ki-hum are all characters in the plot. Lee, a nightclub promoter who joins the fight against organised crime and corruption, is the character played by Park.
If you’re a fan of the starring actors, it’s worth seeing even though the plot might be a little confusing at times. Park has the opportunity to show off his skills to play a character that is more silly and chatty, which is very different from his serious parts.
Chimera (2021)
Chimera is a Korean drama that Kim Do-hoon directed and features Park, Lee Hee-joon, and Claudia Kim in the key characters. It follows these three main characters as they go through various records from the previous 30 years in search of a criminal known only as the Chimera. Cha Jae-hwan, a 35-year-old meticulous homicide detective, is portrayed by Park. The plot is exceptional, as well as incredibly inventive and distinct, because it uses Greek mythology to guide us through the case. You, as a viewer, are emotionally drawn in by the mystery and crime. It should undoubtedly be more well-known than it is right now.
Money Heist: Korea: Joint Economic Area (2022)
You have to admit that Money Heist: Korea: Joint Economic Area has undoubtedly added something fresh to the narrative, despite the conflicting comments this South Korean adaptation has gotten. The second installment of the Money Heist franchise features a crew of thieves with distinct personalities as they rob the mint of a united Korea under the direction of a smart man known as the Professor. The role played by Park is Berlin, a 41-year-old former Kaechon concentration camp prisoner from North Korea. He frequently resorts to violence and threats as a result of his trauma.
Narco-Saints (2022)
Narco-Saints, also known as Suriname, is a Netflix series based on actual events that follows a regular businessman who is coerced into taking part in a mission to apprehend drug lords in South America. Choi Chang-ho, the head of the Americas Branch of the National Intelligence Service, is the persona played by Park.
In between Narcos and Narcos: Mexico, the series acts as a “play next.” The actors they chose for the programme did a fantastic job of keeping you waiting to see what would happen next. It is simple to categorise it as the next big thing in South Korean pop culture.
Phantom (2023)
Phantom is a 2023 spy action movie set in 1933 during the Japanese colonisation of Korea, and it is based on Mai Jia’s 2007 novel Feng Sheng. The plot centres on various suspects and their efforts to allay the suspicions cast on them after an attempt to assassinate a Japanese politician fails. The Japanese official Kaito, played by Park, is in charge of the inquiry to find the anti-Japanese snitch.
It’s simple to fall in love with the entire film, from the song to the cinematography. Despite the widespread resistance movement, the majority of the plot takes place in a closed environment, which isn’t always a bad thing in this situation.
Prison Playbook (2017)
Prison Playbook, a South Korean drama that features Park in her first-ever starring role, centres on the lives of many prisoners in prison. Kim Je-hyuk, a baseball player who receives a year in prison for defending his sister from an assault, is the character played by Park. The show swiftly rose to commercial success and is among the top k-dramas in South Korean cable history.
The comedy and lightheartedness of the show undoubtedly deserves more recognition from the general public and foreign audiences because it lets you unwind after a long day of work. Slice of life is a concept that makes you smile, cry, and forget about your difficulties in the present.
Squid Game (2021)
Squid Game is an essential part of any discussion of Park Hae-soo. When the survival drama debuted on Netflix in 2021, it shook the globe. In its first four weeks of release, it racked up 1.65 billion viewing hours, becoming Netflix’s most popular series. On the game show, 456 contestants stake their lives on the line to win a big cash prize. Park’s nuanced character, Cho Sang-woo, joins the game to elude the law. It can be difficult to watch at times because of the extreme violence and humour, but it demonstrates the extremes to which individuals will go when they have nothing to lose.
The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)
A South Korean television series called The Tale of the Blue Sea, which was inspired by a traditional Joseon mythology, tells the love story of Heo Joon-jae, a con man, and Shim Cheong, a mermaid who sets out to locate him. Park excels at portraying tenacious detectives, and this k-drama is no exception.
The actor frequently appears as Hong Dong-pyo, a contemporary detective who first opposes Joon-jae while looking into his schemes. This series will make you love viewing numerous episodes that are an hour or longer, even if you don’t usually. You experience a range of emotions, including joy, rage, and perplexity.
The Pirates (2014)
A bunch of pirates and thieves go out on a quest to capture a large whale that has sucked their new Joseon Dynasty emperor in The Pirates, a South Korean historical adventure movie. Park takes on the role of Hwang Joong-geun, a supporting character rather than the movie’s main protagonist.
The dynamic of pirates vs thieves combines comedy, action, and fantasy and magically makes it all come together. The action scenes are highly-choreographed, and the humour works pretty well. All you have to do is let yourself take pleasure in the show.
Time to Hunt (2020)
Time to Hunt is a dystopian action thriller and the first South Korean film to be exhibited in the Special section of the Berlin Film Festival. It is set in a dystopian version of South Korea and centres on a gang of pals who plot a massive theft but wind up being pursued by an unidentified assassin. Park portrays Han, one of the key characters and one of the pals.
Despite the film’s lengthy running time, the plot never becomes tedious because the script wasn’t intended to be profound and important. Han’s persona has the vibe of a South Korean John Wick and would be entertaining to watch in a stand-alone film.
Yaksha: Ruthless Operations (2022)
Yaksha: Ruthless Operations, an espionage action movie with Sol Kyung-gu and Park Hae-soo in the key roles, was directed by Na Hyeon. A prosecutor who is demoted to a lower post in the espionage agency and the head of its black ops squad are the central characters of the story, which is set in the Chinese city of Shenyang. Park portrays Han Ji-hoon, a prosecutor who thinks justice should be properly carried out through the legal system. This is a really good starting point if you wish to spend your time with an exciting spy thriller.
