Latest news with #ParkHae-soo
Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Squid Game star Park Hae-soo, actress Jeon Do-yeon to perform The Cherry Orchard in S'pore
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The Cherry Orchard, which stars South Korean actors Park Hae-soo and Jeon Do-yeon, will be coming to Singapore between Nov 7 to 9. SEOUL - Following its 2024 premiere in Seoul, the South Korean production of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's 1904 play The Cherry Orchard will embark on an international tour in 2025, beginning with performances in Hong Kong and Singapore. Cannes-winning South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon and Squid Game (2021 to 2025) star Park Hae-soo and will reprise their roles as a chaebol heiress whose family business is on the verge of bankruptcy and a wealthy businessman from a lower social class respectively. The 145-minute production is slated to run at Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay from Nov 7 to 9. There will be English subtitles on a side screen. Helmed by Australian film director Simon Stone and produced by LG Arts Centre, it reimagines Chekhov's tragicomedy through the lens of contemporary South Korea and marked Jeon's return to the theatre stage after 27 years. During its 2024 debut at LG Arts Centre Seoul, the show drew 40,000 theatregoers across 30 performances and achieved a 95 per cent seat occupancy rate. The international tour begins Sept 19 to 21 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, where it will open the Asia+ Festival 2025. Stone, known for his deconstruction and reinterpretation of canonical works such as Medea and Ibsen House (1879), breathes new life into The Cherry Orchard, setting the original story of a crumbling Russian aristocracy and a rising middle class at the turn of the 20th century in a South Korea undergoing rapid transformation. Jeon, 52, who made her film debut with the melodrama The Contact (1997), won Best Actress at the 60th Cannes Film Festival for her work in Secret Sunshine (2007). Her more recent film credits include Emergency Declaration (2021), Kill Boksoon (2023) and Revolver (2024), as well as K-dramas like Crash Course In Romance (2023). Park, 43, is best known for his role as the antagonist Sang-woo from the first season of Netflix hit series Squid Game. He started his career in theatre in 2007, before moving into film and television in 2012 and making his mark in the popular series Prison Playbook (2017 to 2018). THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK BookIt/The Cherry Orchard Where: The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive When: Nov 7 and 8, 8pm; Nov 9, 2pm Admission: $68 to $158 from . Discounted rates apply for selected Esplanade&Me members, students, NSFs, seniors and PWDs.
News18
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Netflix Drops Farewell Video As Squid Game Era Comes To An End
Netflix's final 'Goodbye' video revisits eerie playgrounds, psychological battlegrounds and iconic characters. Now, it's officially a farewell for Squid Game fans. The era of the global Netflix phenomenon has come to a close, with the streaming platform dropping an emotional farewell video titled 'Goodbye", marking the end of its gripping three-season-long journey. Released on July 17, the clip takes fans back to the eerie playgrounds and psychological battlegrounds that made Squid Game unforgettable. As the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) presses a red button, the arena begins to shut down. The lights fade from each of the 12 haunting game stages, casting darkness over the infamous Young-hee doll. Guards in pink hazmat suits silently scrub away bloodstains and pack up props, symbolically erasing the remnants of desperation and survival that defined the series. In one of the most poignant visuals, LED lights representing every contestant go out one by one, until only Seong Gi-hun's remains. His personal mission brought him back into the game in Season 3. When his light finally dims, it marks not just the end of a character arc but the emotional closure of a story that struck a global chord. But that's not all. In another emotional video, cast members from all three seasons came together to bid farewell to their characters. From lead star Lee Jung-jae to fan favourites like Park Hae-soo and Anupam Tripathi from Season 1, the reunion reel offers fans one last walk down memory lane. Shared on the official Squid Game Instagram handle with the caption, 'Attention players: please return your tracksuits and leave with the best memories," the video kicks off with Jung Ho-yeon and Lee You-mi (Players 067 and 240) flashing warm smiles. Kim Joo-ryoung (Player 212) follows, while Park Hae-soo and Anupam Tripathi exchange a hug and hilariously swap the wrong tracksuits. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix) Yim Si-wan and Jo Yu-ri, who are likely the youngest contestants of the lot, step in next as Player 333 and Player 222 from Season 2. They're followed by Lee Seo-hwan (Player 390) and Kang Ha-neul (Player 388). Soon after, Jun Suk-ho and Kim Pub-lae, who helped Gi-hun in tracking down the Recruiter (played by Gong Yoo), make their entrance, noticeably without the signature green tracksuits. Chae Kook-hee, as the shaman lady (Player 044), also joins the farewell, followed by survivors Park Gyu-young as No-eul, the Pink Guard, and Lee Jin-wook as Player 456. Yang Dong-geun as Player 007 makes his appearance just before the most awaited moment. Choi Seung-hyun aka T.O.P. arrives next as fan-favourite Thanos, flashing his trademark heart sign. He's joined by Roh Jae-won and Lee David (Players 124 and 125), who bring a light moment with their playful banter. Won Ji-an as Player 380, Kim Si-eun and Park Sung-hoon as Players 095 and 120 follow soon after. Wi Ha-joon, who played the undercover cop Jun-ho, discards both his police officer uniform and his Pink Guard disguise, bringing his arc to a symbolic close. The emotional farewell reaches its peak as Lee Byung-hun adds both his Player 001 tracksuit and his infamous Front Man cloak to the pile. And finally, it's Lee Jung-jae, Player 456 himself, who wraps up the moment. As a lone Pink Guard rolls away the stack of costumes, the 'Squid Game" universe officially says goodbye. First Published: July 18, 2025, 11:50 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Korea Herald
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Korean production of 'The Cherry Orchard' sets off on global tour
Jeon Do-yeon, Park Hae-soo reprise their roles; first stops in Hong Kong and Singapore Following its sensational premiere in Seoul, the Korean production of "The Cherry Orchard" will embark on an international tour this fall, beginning with performances in Hong Kong and Singapore. The original Seoul cast, led by Cannes-winning Jeon Do-yeon and Park Hae-soo, will reprise their roles, joined by fellow original cast members Sohn Sang-gyu, Choi Hee-seo, Lee Ji-hye, Nam Yun-ho, Yoo Byung-hun, Park Yu-rim, Lee Sae-jun and Lee Ju-won. The adaptation directed by Simon Stone and produced by LG Arts Center reimagines Anton Chekhov's tragicomedy through the lens of contemporary Korea. During its 2024 debut at LG Arts Center Seoul, the show drew 40,000 theatergoers across 30 performances and achieved a 95 percent seat occupancy rate. The international tour begins Sept. 19-21 at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Center, where it will open the Asia+ Festival 2025. The festival, organized by Hong Kong's Leisure and Cultural Services Department, highlights the best of traditional and contemporary performing arts across Asia. From Nov. 7-9, the production travels to Singapore's national performing arts center, Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay, for three performances. Stone, known for his deconstruction and reinterpretation of canonical works such as "Medea" and "Ibsen House," breathes new life into "The Cherry Orchard," setting the story of a crumbling aristocracy and a rising middle class in a Korea undergoing rapid transformation. 'This idea of very rapid change — the ways of the past being lost, the fight between tradition and innovation, the battle between generations, and this very melancholy, almost crazy movement between hope and despair that happens sometimes within a single sentence — is very hard to find,' said Stone, speaking to the press last year. To him, setting the play in Korea felt like exactly the right way to hold a mirror to all of this. 'This is a truly global collaboration,' said Lee Hyun-jung, head of LG Arts Center Seoul. 'It brings together one of the world's most visionary directors, some of Korea's finest actors, and an extraordinary team of creatives, including architect Saul Kim and composer Jang Young-gyu. Together, they've transformed a 100-year-old Russian play into a living, urgent Korean story.' Further international invitations are already in the works, including the Adelaide Festival in March 2026 and New York's Park Avenue Armory in September 2026, with additional global stops under discussion.
Tatler Asia
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
K-Drama's high-value villain: Park Hae-soo's unconventional journey
He played Kim Je-hyuk, a celebrated baseball player who finds himself imprisoned after protecting his sister from sexual assault. The character is straightforward yet sincere, bearing the weight of silent struggles. Though far from the typical glossy hero, Park's raw, unaffected performance struck a chord. The role earned him Best New Actor at the 2018 Seoul Awards. It was a pivotal moment—the stage actor was now a name to watch. Squid Game and a fateful turn through the anti-hero 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. READ NOW The resort villa in 'The White Lotus' season 3 in Thailand is officially open for sale Thanh Ha releases album 'Beginning': No pressure from trends, no chasing after the times 'Adolescence' – the fragility of teenage behaviour and a warning on the effects of social media
South China Morning Post
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Park Hae-soo's character in Karma, new Netflix K-drama, is most ‘extreme' he's ever played
This article contains spoilers. Advertisement Park Hae-soo may be the most active actor in Korea today. His string of Netflix appearances, ranging from the global phenomenon Squid Game to Narco-Saints and Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, have earned him the nickname 'Netflix's civil servant'. Now, he has returned with another intense performance in the recently released Korean crime thriller series Karma, and is already preparing to meet viewers again through the coming Netflix mystery series The Price of Confession. Karma has gained swift traction since its global premiere on April 4, topping Korea's 'Top 10 Series Today' list and ranking fifth on Netflix's global non-English TV chart, signalling a warm reception both domestically and internationally. The series follows six individuals trapped in a vicious cycle of misfortune, unable to escape a web of bad karma.
