"I am not a 'healer of good stories'! I am like a bat!" he laughed heartily, appearing to be a proper young man. Despite being compared to Kian84 around him, he doesn't care about wearing a stretched T-shirt to the point of cutting it with scissors, but his attitude toward people is more polite and correct than anyone else's. The actor Kang Ha-neul, who passionately performed in the movie 'Opposition,' revealed why he is praised as a proper young man, despite his hectic schedule.
Kang Ha-neul conducted an interview on the morning of the 8th at a cafe in Seocho-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. He discussed the upcoming movie 'Opposition' (directed by Hwang Byeong-guk, provided/distributed by Plus M Entertainment, produced by HYBE Media Corp) and his current situation during the meeting with local reporters.
'Opposition' is a crime action film that unfolds as a broker named Opposition (Kang Ha-neul), a prosecutor (Yoo Hae-jin) aspiring for a higher position, and a detective (Park Hae-jun) dedicated to eradicating drug crimes become intertwined with different objectives. It is a new work from HYBE Media Corp, acclaimed for the well-made social critique crime film 'Inside Men.' Directed by Hwang Byeong-guk, who has worked in multiple projects, including 'Inside Men' and 'The Spring of Seoul,' this is his new work after 14 years since 'Special Investigation Unit.'
In this film, Kang Ha-neul plays the broker 'Opposition,' who designs the drug ring. Although the title might suggest political satire, 'Opposition' is actually a slang term used in real drug crimes. According to a video of expert comments released by the production crew, in drug crime, 'Opposition' refers to a source who provides information to investigative agencies. Kang Ha-neul passionately portrayed a character who, at the request of prosecutor Yoo Hae-jin, works as 'Opposition' to reduce drug crime sentences but is brutally betrayed and dreams of revenge.
Regarding his impression of watching the movie, Kang Ha-neul said, "I had so much fun shooting my part. I felt the pace on set. However, when combining it with the weight and character of other actors, I honestly felt awkward when I appeared on screen. But the others did so well, so even though I’m not sure if I can say this, I enjoyed watching it because of the performance of the others, not just because I’m in it," he laughed.
Due to his character's traits, he had to convey the so-called 'acting of being under the influence.' Kang Ha-neul commented, "I only see the parts I wish I could improve. I often find myself thinking, 'Wasn't there a slightly different way to express it?' and then my scenes come and go."
How was the challenging character of an addict? Kang Ha-neul explained, "I didn’t know much, so I looked for foreign footage. There’s a lot on YouTube. I watched documentaries of people undergoing rehabilitation and learned various stories. I also consulted with detectives who specialize in drugs on set. One reassuring thing was that it doesn’t hit everyone the same way (the effects of drugs). People experience it differently based on their life experiences, so I thought I could keep it somewhat open when expressing it."
At first glance, it may seem like a political movie, but actually 'Opposition' refers to a broker cooperating with drug investigations. Kang Ha-neul noted, "Initially, I was surprised to find it was an invented story when reading the script. I thought that while the story was made up, the concept of 'Opposition' was fictional. However, as I read the script, I noticed the details were very precisely laid out. Our company’s representative has a friend who works as a detective in the drug unit, and after reading this script with our representative, we asked about 'Opposition.' The detective was surprised and asked how we knew that. That made me realize these are real people involved. When I read through it again, I was able to immerse myself in it, thinking these people really exist," he revealed.
Hwang Byeong-guk, who also acts, said about his directing style, Kang Ha-neul shared, "He doesn’t act much, but I just did what I was told," laughing. He added, "The director has a unique rhythm. It feels like he pauses while speaking. When he says, 'I told you this,' the way he lowers the mic makes you curious about what comes next. It’s the same during acting. When I was watching the director demonstrating, I asked, 'This is how you want me to do it?' There’s a feel that makes you want to keep watching. It’s genuinely challenging to achieve that," he marveled.
However, he indicated, "Regarding the drug acting, the director didn’t give specific instructions on tone. While there were discussions about the overall character, the tone related to drugs was a topic we often discussed. The title is 'Opposition', and I had to follow through with my character from the beginning, but the actions of this character are not benevolent. If portrayed too evilly, audiences lose interest. Yet, I didn't want to justify this character's actions while trying to make them appear good. I focused most on engaging with the nuances in between. I asked the director, 'Doesn't it look too nice if I do this here?' to explore different approaches. On the other hand, I avoided being too bad to not become unlikable, so I adjusted those tones quite a bit," he said.
Concerning the stuttering acting in the latter part, Kang Ha-neul stated, "There are various symptoms of withdrawal from drugs, and I thought about including something like that. If I limped, I wouldn’t be able to perform action scenes in the second half, and if I had a limp, it would be awkward to show continuously, so I pondered what could subtly give people an, 'Huh?' feeling without being too over the top, and thought stuttering might evoke the feeling of drug withdrawal. The director had some concerns at first but after trying a few times, he said it was okay, so I ended up performing the stuttering acting."
Recently, during the filming of another movie 'Streaming,' Kang Ha-neul revealed that he acted while thinking of a character he disliked. How was it this time? He said, "I didn’t think of any particular person. Instead, as I mentioned, I viewed the character as a bat that is neither too good nor too bad. However, I wanted the character to be charming enough for many viewers to want to follow without being overly eager. I hoped they would be curious about what would happen to that character in the next scene rather than following out of affection."
He, who is also known as a 'healer of good stories,' humorously remarked, "No, I am a bat," and added, "I appreciate the compliments, but it seems the script is well-written, so it turned out well by just following it," feeling a bit shy.
'Opposition' is also a highly anticipated project featuring Kang Ha-neul, who appeared in 'Squid Game Season 2,' and Park Hae-jun, who gained attention in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines.' Kang Ha-neul noted, "Maybe because we are all men, we haven't had many discussions about that. Since both Hyun-jin and I are from Gyeongsang Province, we’re both rather stoic; we haven't particularly discussed these things." He smiled, adding, "However, I think it’s great that every time we promote, 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' comes up, it's a good thing for the overall team."
So what was the response after watching the film? Kang Ha-neul smiled, saying, "It was just, 'That scene was nice.' There wasn’t too much discussion. We tend to avoid talking about work while drinking. I was relieved to hear that the atmosphere was good. We mostly talked about personal matters instead of the film—about what supplements we take and if we sleep well. Those were the topics of conversation."
About the chemistry with the co-actors, Kang Ha-neul explained, "With Yoo Hae-jin, I thought about how to express our closeness. After interacting in society, I have younger siblings who like me. There are some younger ones that I genuinely care for, and I want to appear as someone they’d look up to, like 'Oh, hyung!' and follows us."
He elaborated, "Yoo Hae-jin is actually the opposite of the prosecutor character's vibe. He is very caring and truly sweet. His brand of sweetness is not just, 'Did you eat?' but carries a heavy resonance typical of Chungcheong Province. I appreciated that a lot. One of the most thankful things on set was that he treated me not as a subordinate but as a genuine colleague, which I truly appreciated."
What kind of younger brother was he? Kang Ha-neul grinned, saying, "I believe I was a decent younger brother, but I really stuck to him on set. He’s a senior I really admire. There were times when he focused intensely on his work. Being an actor myself, when I sensed he wanted to concentrate on things alone, I tried to keep a distance. So when the plot thickened in the latter part, I stayed away as much as I could."
On what kind of senior Yoo Hae-jin was, he stated, "He was like a wonderful older brother I admired when I was young playing on a basketball court. He would drop a word or two to me among many younger ones and those moments meant so much to me."
He shared about Park Hae-jun, whom he reunited with after 11 years since 'Misaeng', stating, "To be honest, we shot the steel team and marketing team separately, so we didn’t get to see each other much. I was in the steel team, and at some point, I realized, 'Oh, this is this role,' but we hardly spoke. Teams were busy filming, so we couldn’t interact just as it was 11 years ago. We did mention, 'We couldn't see much during Misaeng, but here we are,' and that was about it," smiling.
He added, "While Yoo Hae-jin is a senior I genuinely respect and love deeply, I’ve actually become quite close with Park Hae-jun. He’s quite similar to me in good ways. He has this relaxed vibe that looks as if he’s always at ease, just like me. We greet each other with 'Oh, hey~,' when we see each other. I often catch myself quietly getting my makeup done before saying, 'Let's sit over there,' and 'Yes, hyung,' as we got pretty close in a laid-back atmosphere."
When exchanging contact information, he noted, "I’m not someone who usually reaches out frequently. Hae-jun said he doesn’t reach out often either, so whenever one of us thinks about it, we’d just send a dot or two. That suddenly clicked. During 'Misaeng,' I didn’t even know his contact information. Yet, we’ve never sent messages to each other, not even once."
Regarding newcomer Cha Won-bin, he said, "I didn’t know Won-bin very well before filming. But I saw the director watching Won-bin during a test shoot. I asked the director, 'What movie is this?' I initially thought it was an international film. I thought Won-bin was filming something else abroad. However, the director stated it was a test shoot for our project."
He continued, "What struck me during that moment was that even when Won-bin has no lines in a scene, he possesses a uniquely magnetic charm that pulls you in. There is a saying among seniors that there are people who seem to be speaking without uttering a word. It was indeed like that. When I first saw him, I was a bit flustered, but I thought the feel from his test shoot was remarkable," he added with a smile.
Kang Ha-neul also remarked, "I still can’t forget that scene. Throughout the film, whenever I saw Won-bin, that testing shot flashed in my mind. It will also appear in the movie. It’s the scene of the small boat going to the yacht. At that moment, I was somewhat surprised. It felt reminiscent of a scene from an old Hong Kong movie I adored. It reminded me of ‘Chungking Express.’ I think that is Won-bin's biggest strength," he stated.
On the set of 'Opposition,' where Kang Ha-neul frequently expressed, "I had so much fun," he stated, "Everyone is such veterans that things seemed to operate smoothly like well-oiled gears."
Regarding the intense action, he stated, "The filming environment in our country has notably improved. There were no incidents or injuries. The set was much safer than how it appears in the film. Although there was a strange feeling during the filming because it was so safe, I sometimes wondered if it would look real even if we did this. Yet, when we saw it afterward, it looked real. Although there were a few parts I had to be cautious about. Since it’s impossible to really ignite fire and wreck things, I found myself needing to act convincingly to persuade the audience. Scenes where my leg caught fire were done with CGI," he laughed.
Regarding the 'eel scene,' Kang Ha-neul revealed, "We actually filmed with real eels. It was a true-to-life setup. Unlike a setup required for action, we had to cut the eel to extract the drugs, as reportedly, they were so entangled that they wouldn’t get caught by the investigator," he mused.
About the title 'Opposition' and the predictions about it being a political film, Kang Ha-neul remarked, "I opened it thinking, 'Is it a political film at this point?' but ended up thinking, 'Oh, it’s not a political film after all,' so I found it fascinating and read it in amusement. He added, "However, right before its release, I wanted to clarify that it's not strictly a political film. I wanted to make everyone aware that the term 'Opposition' is used in different contexts. So instead of viewing it strictly as a political movie, if you become curious about the term 'Opposition' itself, you might enjoy it even more."
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that 'Opposition' is Kang Ha-neul's most 'rough' character in his filmography. Did the glamorous styling boost his confidence? Kang Ha-neul responded, "I felt my confidence was at its lowest when I first wore it. However, after wearing it continuously, it felt fine. It was the director’s setup. While the time in the film flows, it was decided to keep the costumes uniform to align with the atmosphere and feel. Rather than confidence, I think it suited the role best. Initially, it wasn’t a sleeveless tee, but a fancy and flowing shirt. It resembled the appearance of a gang film from long ago. The costume director suggested trying on different things. I felt uncomfortable with my body, but the sleeveless shirt was more revelatory and aimed to showcase. The director liked it, and so did the costume director," he chuckled.
He noted, "However, I don’t have enough intelligence to think about character or acting transformations. I can't set such plans. I merely read the script, and I found it interesting. I wanted to visualize this script and introduce it to the audience, but there was a rough aspect, and I’ve been doing things that way with a bumbling character in Youth Cop."
Kang Ha-neul stated, "There are no aftereffects from portraying drugs, either. Even now, I’m wearing this hooded sweatshirt and feeling uncomfortable. I mentioned I cut the neck of the shirt with scissors. I don’t care much about my appearance," he chuckled, before stating, "The sense of 'fun' I experience is somewhat different now. When I read the script, scenes gradually unfold in my mind. Some scripts present a lot of situational humor that provokes thought when reading. There are scripts that illustrate transitions between scenes that inspire. However, sometimes there are scripts that make me tilt my head in confusion when reading. Those moments of thought provoke curiosity, and I think those are usually what I describe as 'fun' scripts."
Perhaps thanks to that unending sense of fun, Kang Ha-neul has been keeping busy this year after the end of 'Squid Game Season 2,' the recent release of 'Streaming,' and the upcoming movie 'Opposition,' followed by a drama called 'Your Flavor' working alongside actress Go Min-si. He commented, "I’m not the type who pours my heart and soul into acting or burns out through it. So I don’t feel much difficulty portraying completely different roles. When reading scripts, I often think, 'What if I try it this way?' Yet, I laugh, stating, 'I didn't intend for it to all come out so closely together in terms of release dates.'"
Due to his down-to-earth demeanor and charm displayed in various entertainment shows, it became widely known that those around Kang Ha-neul often remark, "He is like Kian84." Kang Ha-neul responded, "I genuinely like Kian84. I love that feeling of drifting aimlessly with the wind. It’s so appealing, and when I hear that his life is just as it appears on-screen, it feels like a kind of life ideal. I want to live comfortably without stressing over everything like him," he noted.
However, Kang Ha-neul stated, "I have no desire to disclose my daily life. I prefer living without being known. In reality, I don’t pay much attention. Although it's similar, I don’t actually have a dining table at home. When friends visit, we all sit on the floor to eat. Even then, they frequently remark, 'Are you Kian84?' I hadn't realized it until then. I questioned, 'Why would I be Kian84?' But setting the table seemed tedious to me. I just find it easier not to bother with it and eat like that," he explained.
He added, "To appear on 'I Live Alone,' someone more entertaining should be featured. If I were to show my life as it is without any embellishment, I would just be lying on the sofa, and who would want to see that? No one has discouraged me from appearing, nor have I ever been approached for an invitation," waving his hand.
In conclusion, Kang Ha-neul expressed, "What intrigued me about 'Opposition' was the existence of the Opposition. It was so fascinating to read about people engaging in the work of being Opposition, and I thought the character itself was incredibly interesting. It's the 'Opposition' itself. I really wanted to share this character with the audience."
He explained, "From what I’ve studied, there were many pickpocketing groups in our country. Among the groups, one was selling information of other groups to investigative agencies. What they were doing was being 'Opposition.' Back in those days, they referred to their group as 'the ruling party' in slang terms. As pickpocketing faded and transitioned to drug dealing, that term went away, and the Opposition emerged between the drug ring and law enforcement," he explained, illuminating his eyes, and continuing, "Moreover, as you will see in the movie, drugs are something you should absolutely refrain from touching. Truly." This reiterates the reason behind his reputation as a proper young man and a 'healer of good stories.'
The film 'Opposition,' starring Kang Ha-neul, is set to be released in theaters across the nation on the 16th.
[Photo] Provided by Plus M Entertainment.
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