Netflix's new K-drama "Squid Game" (opens in new tab) is taking the world by storm, holding the top spot on Netflix's rankings thanks to fan word of mouth. This touching but brutal series follows a group of contestants who volunteer to play a game of life and death for a 456 million won (about $38 million) prize. The main plot follows the characters, but (opens in new tab) also goes behind the scenes as a young detective named Hwang Joon-ho infiltrates the games in search of his brother.

The young detective, played by Wee Ha-jung, is on a mission to stop the game as he learns the horrors of the game.30-year-old actor Wee Ha-jung is a rising Korean star who has played impressive roles in popular dramas and blockbuster movies. Below is everything we know about this young actor.

Wie was born in August 1991 and grew up on an island in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Last June, during an appearance on the variety show "Problem Child in the House" (open in new tab), he revealed that his father runs an abalone farm and sells the expensive shellfish popular in Korea.

Wie, who made his acting debut in a short film in 2012, has worked steadily as a film actor and now appears in a mix of blockbuster films and dramas. His first starring role was in the horror film Gongjam Haunted Asylum (opens in new tab) (2018), based on a real-life mental hospital; in a 2018 Arirang interview (opens in new tab), he revealed that he had wanted to play a villain since he was young. His wish came true in this year's Midnight (opens in new tab) (2021), in which he plays a serial killer who terrorizes deaf women.

Most recently, he appeared in small roles in the popular dramas Something in the Rain (2018), 18 Again (2020), and Romance is a Bonus Book (2019), for which he was nominated for Best New Actor at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards in Korea. He will next be seen in the police drama Bad and Crazy (opens in new tab), which will premiere in December 2021.

In an interview with Men's Heath Korea (opens in new tab) translated by My Music Taste, he recalls his initial reaction to the hit show. He said, "I read the script in the blink of an eye and was blown away by how immersive it was. I had never seen anything like it before, and I liked the character of Hwang Joon-ho so much that I decided to be part of the series."

He also said he was deeply inspired by the show's lead actor, Lee Jung-ge, who plays Song Ki-hoon. He said, "Unfortunately, I didn't have many scenes with him, so it was a little disappointing that I didn't get a chance to meet him in person more often. But he definitely showed me something different in this series, something he had never shown me before. I could tell that his gait and his gaze belonged to his character, and I was deeply inspired by his performance."

Since Squid Game exploded, fans have been sharing Wi's throwback clips on social media; in one clip from 2016, while promoting at an event called Star, Wi, along with other celebrities, performed the TWICE song Cheer Up" (opens in new tab). Not only did he get the dance right, but he danced his heart out to the adorable girl group's dance moves.

His Instagram feed is mostly selfies and movie and drama promos, but he also has the odd photo at a coffee shop or the gym. He also posts several videos of him spending time with his young niece (open in new tab). The most recent one is a video of her playing on a swing, captioned "With my beloved princess."