Actor Kang Ha-neul directly addressed the bullying allegations during the filming of Netflix series ‘Squid Game’.
On the 15th, the MBC entertainment program ‘Radio Star’ featured a ‘Box Office Lupin’ special with guests Kang Ha-neul, Kim Young-kwang, Kang Young-seok, and Kang Ji-young. During the broadcast, Kang Ha-neul talked about his busy life moving between plays, movies, and dramas, and shared his honest opinion about the recent bullying rumors surrounding him regarding the ‘Squid Game’.
When MC Kim Gook-jin asked, “Is it true that there were rumors of bullying during filming?”, Kang Ha-neul waved his hand and laughed, saying, “It’s not true at all. I was just too tired and rested for a while.” He added, “At that time, I was filming both the movie ‘Opposition’ and ‘Squid Game’. We filmed ‘Squid Game’ during the day and ‘Opposition’ at night. I couldn’t sleep properly, going back and forth like that about 2-3 times a week.”
Kang Ha-neul recalled, “One day, I was told that my scenes might not be shot at the ‘Squid Game’ site. But I stayed on set because they said I should wait just in case. There were many beds inside the set, and I lay down in a corner for a while. But I fell asleep and when I woke up, it was completely dark.”
Kang Ha-neul said, “For a moment, I thought I had lost my vision. I waved my hand and then I could finally see. Later, I found out it was lunchtime, and the crew had turned off all the lights and left,” adding that, “It was such a secure site that even my manager couldn’t come in.” Although it was an unexpected situation, he said he calmly got through it with his positive attitude.
In response to Kim Gura’s joke, “Wasn’t anyone there to take care of Ha-neul?”, Kang Ha-neul humbly replied, “There’s no reason to take care of me. Everyone’s busy with their own work, so is there a need to take care of me as well?” When Kim Gook-jin joked, “Then it’s really bullying, isn’t it?”, he explained, “I just like being alone so much. Please don’t misunderstand.”
Kang Ha-neul shared, “In the past, if someone asked me to go along, I would always follow. But at some point, I realized I wasn’t happy. So nowadays, if I’m tired, I don’t join gatherings, and after filming, I relax alone in my room.” He added that this personality might have led to misunderstandings about the bullying rumors.
Kang Ha-neul also mentioned his family affairs. When MC Kim Gura asked, “I heard your father closed his noodle shop thanks to you?”, he laughed, saying, “It’s not because I did well. He was preparing to move the shop but enjoyed taking a week off so much that he decided to just rest after that.”
Kang Ha-neul has been busy filming six projects just this year. He is actively working between the screen and TV, including Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Season 2, and movies like ‘Opposition’ and ‘The First Ride’. He said, “It’s not hard because there are many projects. I’m grateful for it,” and added, “Working with good actors on great sets is the greatest happiness.”
