Hello, I’m Clementine.
Kang Haneul brings me comfort every day💓
So, today, we’re bringing you a delightful episode featuring Haneul from the popular Korean talk show Radio Star ✨
This marked Haneul’s fourth appearance on the show, and he looked completely at home. His playful, charming personality really shone through once again.
By the way, his beloved nickname “The Generator of Heartwarming Stories(미담자판기)” was actually born on Radio Star 💖
The topic of today’s clip is a behind-the-scenes story about the gonggi (공기놀이) scene he performed in the Netflix series Squid Game 2.
Let’s take a look! 🎥
🎥 Watch the featured clip here!
💡 What Is “Gonggi”?
Gonggi is a traditional Korean game played with five small plastic stones (called gonggi-dol). Players toss the stones into the air and catch them in specific sequences—similar to the Japanese game otedama.
The most difficult technique is called “kkeokgi (꺾기)”, where you place the stones on the back of your hand, flip them into the air, and catch them again. It’s widely considered the hardest move in the game.
📖 Talk Script: He Practiced So Hard… But Then Came the Twist!?
During the show, Haneul revealed a physical trait he was born with.
Let’s hear what he had to say 🎤
선천적으로 새끼 손가락이 안 붙어요.
I was born with pinky fingers that don’t fully touch.
Oh—so that’s the problem.
이렇게 힘을 빼고, 하나 둘 셋!
ㅋㅋ 이렇게 있어요ㅋㅋㅋ
You relax your hand like this—one, two, three!
And then it ends up like this, haha.
Didn’t that put you at a disadvantage when you played gonggi as a kid?
어렸을 때는 잘 안 했는데 이번에 연습하면서
I didn’t really play much as a child, but when I practiced this time…
도–저히 꺾기가 안 되는 거예요.
I just couldn’t do the wrist-flip move, no matter what.
그래서 여기서 해서..하나! ㅋㅋㅋ
So I tried doing it from here—ONE!!! Haha.
Fail!
이걸 하려면 이렇게 하면 되거든요.
This is how you’re supposed to do it.
이렇게 안 돼요~새끼 손가락이 안 붙어요~
But I can’t do it—my pinky won’t stick!
운이 좋으면 여기에 다 올라가는 거예요.
If I’m lucky, everything lands here.
그래서 감독님께 이걸 말씀드려야겠다 해서 갔는데
So I thought I should explain this to the director, and when I did…
“그거 왜 연습해요? 하늘씨가 안 할 거예요” 그러시더라고요ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
He said, “Why are you practicing that? You’re not doing it.” (LOL)
엣? 제가… 안 해요?? 그러니까
I was like, “Huh? I’m… not doing it?”
그거 공기대역분 생활의 달인에…
Turns out, the gonggi scene was done by a stunt performer—
someone from Master of Living…
Ah! That legendary expert from Master of Living!
와~그분이 1 단부터 5 단까지를 진짜 거의 몇 초 안에 끝내요
Seriously, they finish levels one through five in just a few seconds.
That’s basically superhuman.
그 오징오 게임에 보시면 나오는 그게 거의 원테이크예요.
If you watch Squid Game, that scene is almost a single take.
빠른 화면이 아니에요
It’s not sped up.
그냥 진짜 본인이 그냥 본인이 그정도로 하시고…
He can just… do it at that level, naturally.
So, what did you think?
He talks pretty fast, and with everyone chiming in, it might’ve been hard to catch everything!
📝 Korean Phrases of the Day
| Word / Expression | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| 새끼 손가락 | Saekki Songarak | Pinky finger |
| 이렇게 | Ireoke | Like this / this way |
| 힘을 빼다 | Himeul Paeda | To relax / loosen up |
| 도저히 | Dojeohi | No matter how hard / absolutely not |
| 꺾기 | Kkeokgi | Wrist-flipping motion (gonggi technique) |
💡 Mini Korean Language Notes
1. 안 붙어요 (an but-eoyo)
Meaning: “It doesn’t stick / It won’t come together”
- A simple negation using 안 + verb.
- Common in daily conversation.
- Same structure as 안 돼요 (“I can’t / It won’t work”).
2. 힘을 빼다 (himeul paeda)
Meaning: “To relax / loosen up”
- Literally “to remove strength.”
- Used both physically and emotionally.
- Can also imply disappointment or deflation.
3. 도저히 (dojeohi)
Meaning: “No matter what / There’s absolutely no way”
- Always used with a negative expression.
- Perfect for emphasizing a sense of helplessness.
- Example: 도저히 안 돼요 (“I just can’t do it.”)
🍊 Clementine’s Note
Watching Haneul explain everything with exaggerated gestures, repeating “이렇게, 이렇게 (like this, like this)”, he honestly looks like a little boy trying his best—and it’s impossible not to smile.
If you look closely when he raises his hands toward the camera, you can actually see that his right pinky doesn’t fully touch. The stones keep slipping and falling, and you can almost picture him thinking, “Nope, this isn’t working…”
Just imagining that moment already makes him unbearably cute 💓
⬇️ Iconic 5-second clip
“엣? 제가… 안 해요??”
(Somehow sounds just like Yong-sik from When the Camellia Blooms, doesn’t it?)
So, how was this episode?
Practicing so hard only to find out he wouldn’t even be doing the scene—yet another perfectly timed punchline from Haneul. Watching Squid Game 2 after knowing this story makes the experience even more enjoyable!
