2002–2007: Beginnings Kim Sung-hoon made his acting debut in the 2002
SBS sitcom Honest Living and his feature film debut in the 2003 film
Madeleine. For the next few years, Kim's acting career was relatively low-key, appearing in several supporting roles, but not receiving a lot of attention. In 2005, Kim signed with talent agency
SidusHQ and on their recommendation adopted the
stage name "Ha Jung-woo." He then appeared in his first starring role in the indie film
The Unforgiven, a blistering critique of the physical and psychological violence within military ranks. Ha's subsequent roles in controversial
arthouse director
Kim Ki-duk's
Time and
Breath brought more notice to his acting talents in Korea and overseas. His portrayal of a cool-headed prosecutor who is romantically involved with a feisty police officer played by
Go Hyun-jung in the popular
MBC drama series
H.I.T attracted female fans and gained him popularity among the masses. He also starred in the American indie film
Never Forever opposite
Vera Farmiga, which garnered praise from the film festival circuit.
2008–2009: Breakthrough Ha's breakout came in the 2008 film
The Chaser, in which he played a psychopath character loosely based on serial killer
Yoo Young-chul. The movie became a huge hit at the Korean box office, raking in over 5 million ticket sales, while also garnering high praise from critics and numerous awards from local award-giving bodies. American director
Martin Scorsese, rumored to be attached to a Hollywood
remake of
The Chaser, has complimented Ha as having as much potential as his
The Departed stars
Leonardo DiCaprio and
Matt Damon. Ha followed this up with a portrayal of a charming scoundrel in
My Dear Enemy that same year, showcased his versatility and elevated his status as one of the most sought-after actors in the Korean film industry. From 2008 to 2009, he took on diverse but compelling roles in
The Moonlight of Seoul,
Boat, and
Take Off.
Take Off, based on the Korean national
ski jumping team, became one of the
biggest box office hits of 2009.
2010–2018: Commercial and critical success Ha reunited with his
The Chaser director
Na Hong-jin and costar
Kim Yoon-seok in Na's sophomore feature
The Yellow Sea, which netted Ha Best Actor awards from the
Asian Film Awards,
Baeksang Arts Awards and the
Korean Association of Film Critics. Ha then starred in the
legal thriller The Client, which evoked his early days of theater, and the director praised Ha for his "moments of true brilliance and genius" during the production. In early 2012,
Samsung Electronics produced an ambitious
PPL-frequent-film project featuring
Galaxy Note, their latest
Tablet hybrid mobile. Titled as
Cine Note, the giant project comprises three
shorts by directors
Kang Hyeong-cheol,
Jang Hoon and
E J-yong. Ha played the leading role for all the three of the films, while celebrated musician
Lee Seung-chul produced music using the device, and noted
webtoon artists Son Jae-ho and Lee Gwang-soo created the film's animated content.
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time was Ha's third collaboration with longtime friend director
Yoon Jong-bin, also starring acclaimed veteran actor
Choi Min-sik. This was followed shortly by the unconventional romantic comedy
Love Fiction opposite
Gong Hyo-jin. Both were box office hits. After wrapping
Love Fiction, Ha along with Gong and 14 other actors went on a cross-country walking trip from
Seoul to
Haenam,
South Jeolla Province. Their journey was chronicled in the
documentary 577 Project, denoting the total distance covered in kilometers. Ha was in charge of three aspects of the production including planning, acting and casting. He said he did it to thank fans for their support after he won back-to-back Best Actor awards at the 2010 and 2011 Baeksang Arts Awards. In
Ryoo Seung-wan's
The Berlin File, Ha starred as a North Korean agent in Berlin who is betrayed and cut loose in the midst of a financial espionage intrigue. He then appeared the action thriller
The Terror Live, playing a news anchor with an exclusive, live broadcast on a terrorist attack. Ha then made his directorial debut with
Rollercoaster (released internationally as
Fasten Your Seatbelt), based on his own screenplay about the comic interactions between the cabin crew and passengers (including an arrogant
Hallyu star played by
Jung Kyung-ho) of a flight from Tokyo to
Gimpo International Airport which becomes in danger of crashing when the plane hits a major storm. The film was a box office success. Working with Yoon Jong-bin again, Ha played a
Joseon era butcher-turned-outlaw in the
period action film Kundo: Age of the Rampant. In 2015, Ha directed, wrote and starred in
Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, a
film adaptation of Chinese author
Yu Hua's
1995 novel. He then appeared in one of the biggest domestic hits of the year,
Choi Dong-hoon's
Assassination about resistance fighters given orders to kill a Japanese army commander in the
colonial era. In 2016, Ha starred again in two box office hits;
Park Chan-wook's
The Handmaiden, an adaptation of the
Sarah Waters novel
Fingersmith that changed the setting from Victorian England to 1930s Korea;, and survival thriller
The Tunnel. In 2017, Ha starred in
Kim Yong-hwa's
Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds, an adaptation of the
webtoon Along With the Gods, about a court in the afterlife where the deceased undergo multiple trials for 49 days, and
1987: When the Day Comes, about a political crisis that led to the June Democratic Uprising in 1987 which ended the military regime of President
Chun Doo-hwan. He reprised his role as Gang-rim in the 2018 sequel,
Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days. In the same year, Ha starred in the action thriller
Take Point, reuniting with
The Terror Live director
Kim Byung-woo.
2019–present: Career fluctuations and continued directional feats In 2019, Ha was cast in the science fiction action film
Ashfall alongside
Lee Byung-hun. The blockbuster grossed over $61 million worldwide, becoming South Korea's
fourth highest-grossing domestic film of 2019. In 2020, Ha starred in the horror film
The Closet. Ha received significant recognition for his role in the 2022 Netflix series
Narco-Saints. He won the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the 13th Korea Drama Awards for his performance in the series. In 2024, Ha starred in the disaster film
Hijack 1971, which is based on the real-life hijacking of a
Korean Air flight to North Korea. In 2025, Ha made his directional comeback after ten years with the comedy films
Lobby and
The People Upstairs. That year, he also starred in the film
Nocturnal, marking his return to the crime-thriller genre. ==Other activities==