K-Drama's high-value villain: Park Hae-soo's unconventional journey
In 2021, Park Hae-soo stepped into a wildly different world with Netflix's global phenomenon Squid Game . He portrayed Cho Sang-woo, once a Seoul University golden boy, now burdened with debt and drawn into a deadly survival contest.
Cho Sang-woo was no traditional villain. Clever and composed, he slowly unravels—becoming calculating, ruthless, and emotionally detached in his quest to win. He betrays, sacrifices, and manipulates, all in the name of survival. Yet Park's performance kept the audience torn: incensed, yet intrigued; disapproving, yet strangely empathetic.
Read more: Actress Ho Thu Anh: 'Getting into character is the most important thing, treatment comes later'
Above A fate-altering performance in 'Squid Game'. Photo: Netflix
Cho Sang-woo's transformation was subtle and haunting—from the warm elder brother in Gi-hun's childhood memories, to the cold strategist within the game, and finally, a man crushed under the weight of his choices. A tragic arc, drawn with precision.
This role brought Park Hae-soo's name beyond Korea's borders. It earned him a prestigious Emmy nomination and led to a contract with a US-based management agency. Berlin and the psychological weight of performance
Following Squid Game , Park Hae-soo continued to push his limits with Money Heist: Korea–Joint Economic Area (2022), a remake of the globally adored La Casa de Papel . Here, he stepped into the role of Berlin, the magnetic yet volatile leader of a fearless band of thieves.
It was a bold undertaking, considering how iconic the original character had become. But Park opted for a more introspective, distinctly Korean interpretation—quieter, more restrained, and laced with pain. This version of Berlin was not simply a cold-blooded criminal, but a man cast aside by society, burdened by illness and a loneliness too deep to name. The result was a figure far more human, and unexpectedly moving.
Above Berlin remains another complex psychological villain for Park Hae-soo. Photo: Netflix
Not one to rest on his laurels, Park Hae-soo has ventured into a wide array of genres since.
In Yaksha: Ruthless Operations (2022), he takes on the role of Ji Kang-in, a brutal intelligence officer unafraid to break the rules to serve his ends. Then in Narco-Saints (2022), he plays a covert anti-narcotics agent. These are no longer intricate antagonists, but men of action: hardened, and at times, chilling. Still, each character carries a flicker of humanity, allowing Park's portrayals to avoid cliché or rigidity. An unflinching role in Karma
Continuing his exploration of layered, emotionally charged characters, Park Hae-soo returns to television in Karma (2025), a psychological crime series that premiered on Netflix from 4 April. Adapted from Choi Hee-seon's acclaimed webtoon Ill-fated Relationship, the show is directed by Lee Il-hyung.
In Karma , Park plays Kim Beom-jun, a man caught in the aftermath of a mysterious midnight accident. Though initially a bystander, he becomes deeply entangled in a web of guilt, vengeance, and moral decay. He is not merely a witness but the thread that binds a series of harrowing events: a man wounded, manipulative, and forever haunting the lives of those around him.
Above Park Hae-soo's most demanding performance yet in 'Karma'. Photo: Netflix
Park has described it as the 'most extreme' role of his career. The preparation was intense—researching burn trauma, altering his voice and manner of speaking, even adjusting his gait. He maintained a warped tone throughout filming, wore prosthetics for long hours, and drew inspiration from Heath Ledger's Joker to capture Beom-jun's unsettling, fractured laugh—a critical detail, revealing the character's inner fracture.
Karma swiftly climbed to Netflix's global top five in the non-English language series category, and claimed the number one spot in Korea—a testament to the show's resonance both at home and abroad.
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