Park Hae-soo is a South Korean actor born on November 21, 1981, in Suwon, South Korea. He is best known worldwide for playing Cho Sang-woo in Netflix’s Squid Game. This article covers his career, family life, and his private marriage to a non-celebrity wife.
Who is Park Hae Soo?
Park Hae-soo is a South Korean actor known for his role as Cho Sang-woo in Squid Game. That 2021 performance earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
He began his career in theater in 2007. Park later transitioned into film and television, becoming one of Korea’s most recognized dramatic actors.
His breakthrough came with Prison Playbook in 2017. Since then, Park has built a steady run of Netflix collaborations, including Narco-Saints and Money Heist: Korea.
Early Life of Park Hae Soo
Park Hae-soo was born in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He developed an early interest in performing arts during childhood.
He attended Dankook University, where he majored in theater. That academic training led directly into his stage career.
Park made his professional debut in the 2007 musical Mr. Lobby. He continued performing in stage productions including Hero, Full for Love, and The Chorus – Oedipus before moving to screen acting in 2012.
Park Hae Soo Age
Park Hae-soo is 44 years old as of 2026, born on November 21, 1981. His zodiac sign is Scorpio.
He continues to take on major roles heading into 2026. Netflix confirmed in June 2026 that Park will star in the upcoming crime drama Paper Man alongside Cho Jung-seok and Claudia Kim.
Park Hae Soo Ethnicity and Nationality
Park holds South Korean nationality. He is of Korean ethnic background.
He was raised in Suwon before moving to pursue theater training in his home country. Park has remained based in South Korea throughout his acting career.
Park Hae Soo Height and Weight
Park Hae-soo stands at approximately 5 feet 10 inches, or about 178 centimeters. His exact weight is not publicly confirmed.
He maintains an athletic build suited to physically demanding roles. That physicality became especially visible in his role as a baseball player in Prison Playbook.
Park Hae Soo Education
Park studied theater at Dankook University in South Korea. His formal training there shaped his early stage career.
He joined an acting institute after finishing high school. That early training led him toward his 2007 stage debut.
Park Hae Soo Career
Park’s career started on the stage before expanding into television and film. His path from theater to global streaming success took over a decade to unfold.
Breakthrough Role / Career Start
Park made his television debut in 2012 with the series God of War. He followed that with a film debut in 2014’s The Pirates.
His major breakthrough came with Prison Playbook in 2017. The prison drama became one of the highest-rated Korean cable dramas of its time and earned Park the Best New Actor award at The Seoul Awards.
Notable Films / Projects
Park went on to star in Time to Hunt in 2020, which brought him the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actor. That same year, By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture earned him both a Buil Film Award and a Grand Bell Award.
In 2021, Park landed the role of Cho Sang-woo in Squid Game. The series became a global phenomenon within days of its release on Netflix.
He followed that success with Narco-Saints and Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, both released in 2022. In the latter, Park played the character Berlin.
Recent Work
Park starred in the Netflix thriller Night Trip in 2024. He continued his streak of Netflix projects through 2025 with Karma, The Price of Confession, and The Great Flood.
In June 2026, Netflix confirmed his casting in the upcoming crime drama Paper Man. He will star alongside Cho Jung-seok and Claudia Kim in that project.
Park Hae Soo Filmography
Park’s film credits include The Pirates, Minority Opinion, Master, Time to Hunt, By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture, and Yaksha: Ruthless Operations. His television work includes God of War, Prison Playbook, Memories of the Alhambra, Racket Boys, and Squid Game.
He also appeared in Narco-Saints and Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area. More recently, Park starred in Night Trip, Karma, The Price of Confession, and The Great Flood.
Park Hae Soo Awards and Recognition
Park won Best New Actor at The Seoul Awards in 2017 for Prison Playbook. He added the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actor in 2020 for Time to Hunt.
That same year, he won both the Buil Film Award and the Grand Bell Award for Best New Actor. Each recognized his performance in By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture.
Squid Game brought Park his biggest recognition yet. He earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2022.
The cast also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series that year. Park additionally won Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Drama, at the Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards in 2022.
Park Hae Soo Brand Endorsements
Park has worked as a model alongside his acting career. He has appeared in campaigns for Harper’s Bazaar and other major fashion brands.
His rising global profile after Squid Game increased his visibility for endorsement work. Park continues to balance modeling appearances with his acting schedule.
Park Hae Soo Wife
Park Hae-soo married a non-celebrity woman in a private ceremony in Seoul on January 14, 2019. He has never publicly shared her name or photo.
The couple met through a mutual friend before dating for a period leading up to their wedding. Park previously dated musical actress Lim Kang-hee from 2013 to 2016.
Speaking about his wife, Park once said she was a beautiful gift in his life. He added that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with someone who gives him strength through good times and bad.
Park Hae Soo Children
Park Hae-soo and his wife welcomed their first child, a son, in September 2021. BH Entertainment confirmed the news publicly at the time.
He was cast in Squid Game just weeks after his son’s birth. Park has kept details about his child almost entirely private since the announcement.
Park Hae Soo Net Worth
Park Hae-soo’s estimated net worth is $1.5 million as of 2026. His earnings come primarily from his acting roles across Korean television, film, and Netflix productions.
Squid Game significantly raised his profile and earning potential worldwide. Modeling work has also added to his overall income over the years.
Park Hae Soo Social Media
Park is active on Instagram under the handle @haesoopark_official, an account he runs jointly with his agency, BH Entertainment. He joined the platform in October 2021, shortly after Squid Game premiered.
He gained hundreds of thousands of followers within his first day on the app. Park uses the account mainly to share updates about his projects rather than personal details.
The Bottom Line
Park Hae-soo built his career from Seoul theater stages to a Primetime Emmy nomination for Squid Game in 2022. His breakthrough with Prison Playbook in 2017 set the stage for that global recognition.
He remains intensely private about his family, never revealing his wife’s name since their 2019 wedding. Park continues to balance his acting career with life as a father to his son, born in 2021.
He has a new Netflix crime drama, Paper Man, on the way after a steady run of 2025 releases. We hope you enjoyed reading about Who is Park Hae Soo. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!