Squid Game 2 actor Kang Ha-Neul slammed YouTubers who profit from spreading malicious rumors about celebrities, ahead of portraying a cyber wrecker in a new thriller movie.
In Streaming, Kang portrays Woo Sang, Korea’s top crime channel streamer, whose relentless pursuit of attention drives him to dangerous extremes.
While promoting the movie, the 35-year-old actor shared his thoughts on the real-world implications of his character’s actions. “I hope people who watch the movie recognize that Woo Sang’s (his character) actions are not right,” he told Korea JoongAng Daily.
“As an actor, I had to portray Woo Sang thinking he was in the right. But if a cyber wrecker like Woo Sang actually existed, it would not be a good thing.”
Kang also hopes that Streaming would prompt viewers to think critically about the content they watch: “I find it presumptuous to say this, but if watching this movie makes people perceive even one of the countless videos they can access on their phones a little differently, then I believe the movie has done its job.”
Kang Ha-Neul on playing a YouTube streamer
Speaking about Woo Sang, Kang described him as an arrogant and superficial attention-seeker, adding that he based the character on people he dislikes: “Woo Sang is an attention seeker. I wanted to depict him as arrogant, excessive, and full of self-importance.
“I based him on the kind of people I personally dislike – those who talk big but lack substance, those who focus only care about how they look on the outside, and those who build their entire lives on lies and pretense. Someone I would never want to befriend.”
The Squid Game 2 star’s comments come amid growing concerns about online harassment in South Korea, where celebrities often become targets for malicious trolls and cyber wreckers.
Actress Kim Sae-Ron faced defamation from YouTubers who posted demeaning videos about her personal life. These attacks reportedly contributed to her struggles before her death on February 16.
Streaming, released in South Korea on March 21, follows Woo Sang as he livestreams his pursuit of an unsolved serial killer, not knowing that the murderer is watching his every move.
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