Cover Story: Wi Ha Jun on his acting career and tackling his first lead role
May 02, 2025
Catapulted to global fame with the success of Squid Game, the South Korean actor is a rare talent who has been able to build a filmography of substance without once losing sight of where he came from. He speaks to Zaneta Cheng about what it is to act, why he chooses projects that address difficult social topics and how he tackled his first lead role
The first time I met Wi Ha Jun, in Seoul in April 2023, we were besieged by near gale-force winds at a fashion show held on a bridge in the middle of the Han River. Back then the South Korean dystopian thriller Squid Game had already blown up and journalists were running over to catch Wi for interviews and soundbites. This could have gone one of two ways. First, he could have refused all media requests and asked to be shielded by his team, or Wi could have done what he ultimately did, which was to genially stand up and take every reporter request politely and professionally despite being attacked by gusts made frostier by an unexpected cold snap.
Since then the 33-year-old Korean actor has not only managed to sustain his burst of popularity but has also gone on to play defining roles as Jung Gi Cheul, a murderer and leader of a gang involved in the drug trade in The Worst of Evil, and Kwon Jun Taek, an activist in The Gyeonseong Creature, a show set during the Japanese occupation of Korea which depicts the brutality of secret biological experiments. Recently, Wi starred in The Midnight Romance in Hagwon, his first lead role in a television series. This romantic melodrama aside, a close look at the actor’s filmography shows a repertoire heavy on thrillers, mystery and horror.
“I’ve always enjoyed action and socially-conscious works since I was young and I feel like they suit me quite well,” Wi says. “I chose to take part in these kinds of projects because they have strong artistic value and convey meaningful messages to audiences and viewers.”
They’re a far cry from his earliest ambitions of pop idol-hood, growing up on his family’s abalone farm on the island of Soando in South Jeolla province. “When I was younger, I loved dance performances on stage, which was why I dreamed of becoming an idol. But in the third year of high school, I joined an acting academy to prepare for the university entrance exams to get into a theatre and film major and ended up falling in love with acting. That’s what led me here,” Wi explains.
The actor made his debut in 2012 in a short film but it was years before he began being cast in meatier roles like a supporting role in the 2018 television series Something in the Rain and 2019’s Romance Is a Bonus Book, the latter for which he earned a nomination for Best New Actor – Television at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards. One more television project followed in 2020, in which Wi played a famous baseball player, and then came Squid Game, which thrust the actor into the stratosphere.
“So many things [about the fame that came from Squid Game] surprised me. I received an overwhelming number of offers and more people recognised me abroad than I expected,” Wi says. But with the exposure came the ability for Wi to craft his career. Squid Game is the first project in his roster that tackles social ills such as inequality. In response to whether Wi chose productions that speak to issues in the world, he says, “Yes, absolutely. That’s why I’m satisfied with my filmography so far and I hope to continue being a part of meaningful projects like these in the future.”
Even in his answers, which are both substantial and substantive, it’s apparent that sincerity is something that shapes Wi and how he interacts. This extends naturally into the way he chooses his projects. “I focus on how sincere the story feels and how much I can empathise with the character as well as how compelling the character is,” Wi says.
The same depth is applied to his approach to his craft. Despite studying both theatre and film during his time at Sungkyul University, Wi has not yet exercised his skills on stage. But of acting on screen, he says, “I don’t believe there’s a ‘right’ answer when it comes to acting. For me, acting is about expressing the character’s story as truthfully as possible. Most of all, I think acting is about reacting. Everyone reacts differently depending on their personality and how these reactions are portrayed is very important. Because acting is about expressing emotions and figuring out how to tell a character’s story truthfully, so it’s never easy. Everyone has different standards so I try to gradually grow, mature and connect with audiences through more seasoned performances as I go.”
For his role portraying Hwang Jun Ho, a police detective who infiltrates the Squid Game to find his long-lost brother whom he believes was a past participant, Wi worked on both his physicality as well as his acting prior to the project. “To bring out a rough, cold and strong image, I tanned, worked out and grew out some facial hair. I also focused heavily on portraying the character through eye acting to bring out Jun Ho’s unwavering determination even under extreme circumstances,” Wi recalls. Reprising the same role for Squid Game 2, he says, “Since I was continuing Jun Ho’s storyline, it wasn’t drastically different but since he’d witnessed such shocking scenes and barely escaped death in season one, I had to start season two by portraying him as emotionally wrecked, isolated and traumatised. That part was new.”
But new doesn’t really phase Wi. The actor keeps his head down and keeps working, which has paid off. Last summer, he was cast in The Midnight Romance in Hagwon, a romantic melodrama television series where Wi plays Lee Jun Ho, a Korean tutoring school teacher who returns to the tutoring academy he once attended as a pupil because of a lingering crush on his tutor. For his first lead role in a genre that doesn’t take up much room on the actor’s resumé, in true Wi form, he gave it his best shot. “It wasn’t drastically different from the prep that I’d been doing for my other projects but there was definitely more to juggle. More scenes, more characters to sync with. I interacted more with my fellow actors and just constantly kept memorising, rehearsing and analysing. I remember giving everything I had to this project, to the point where I had almost no personal time,” he shares.
“As the lead, I had to carry the whole story and that gave me a much stronger sense of responsibility. I looked at the entire production in more detail, not just my scenes. I’ve always approached every role with the mindset that it’s ‘my story’ but this was even more so the case as the lead.”
Wi’s acting credits have seen him work alongside some of the best in the industry, from the moment’s hottest stars to veterans of the craft. Yet, it’s not advice that the actor is taking with him into his next leading role. What he’s bringing with him are carefully observed nuances on how to cultivate an atmosphere behind the scenes. “The biggest thing I learned from great actors is how to carry yourself on set,” Wi says. “Acting is important for sure, but it’s how well you harmonise and lead while seeing the bigger picture on set that makes a real difference. That’s something I learned and should continue doing.”
As for why the actor decided to take on a project that deviated from the string of successful thrillers he’d built his name on since Squid Game, Wi explains, “The character isn’t a fantasy figure that everyone dreams of but a very real, human character. I was drawn to how he grows as an educator and as a man through love. The message of the story really resonated with me.” But such a different genre surely requires a different approach when it comes to preparation? There are no fight scenes to train for in this television series save for the squabbles between lovers. “I haven’t done many of these roles yet, so I haven’t really found a set method to get myself into character yet,” Wi admits. “But I’ve always loved wholeheartedly when I’ve been in relationships, so I think I draw on those experiences to express love well on screen.”
It’s important to remember that for the incredible success and the serious credibility of his projects since 2019, Wi began his career as an actor in 2012. “Every moment has been a challenge. It wasn’t easy to overcome them but I was lucky to have great people around me. Their support, encouragement and kind words helped me get through the tough times and grow,” he says.
Looking back on his younger self, he recalls, “I used to lack confidence and be too hard on myself and when I think about that time, I just feel sorry for myself. I think if I were to say anything to myself back then it would be to believe in yourself and love yourself. That’s really it, because if I had believed in myself and had a bit more love for myself, I think I could’ve grown and found happiness sooner.”
Asked about his #legend, he answers wholesomely: his parents. “Knowing what they’ve been through in life, I truly admire and respect them. They are my driving force and the living legends in my life,” he says. Perhaps it’s because Wi’s responses are always thoughtful and considered. Perhaps it’s because he isn’t going to let fame get in the way of his determination to be a good person who will continue to give genuine answers, be they for a cover interview or under extreme weather conditions. Whatever the reason, in our and the many other interviews where this question has been posed, this, too, feels sincere.
CREDITS
Creative Concept & Production / #legend
Creative Direction / Gordon Lam
Photography / The Buffacow
Styling / Lee Hye Young and Jacky Tam
Hair / Park lha
Make-Up/ Lee Bo Ryeon
Gaffer / Kai Sing
Photography Assistants / Mike Lam, Kevin Cheung
Production / Danny Kang from Thiziscompany
Production Assistant / Grace
