Haha debuted as a singer and rapper with the short-lived South Korean boy band Z-kiri in 2001. He joined the main cast of the hit MBC sitcom Nonstop 3 until 2003. He then released his debut album titled The Beautiful Rhyme Diary in 2005. That same year, he became a regular guest on the popular SBS game show X-Man. His rising popularity paved the way for his inclusion to the cast of MBC’s Infinite Challenge in late 2005. His work in the program earned him many awards, including the Daesang and the High Excellence Award at the 2007 and 2015 MBC Entertainment Awards. In 2010, Haha was included in the main cast of the SBS variety show Running Man. He was named Best Entertainer twice at the SBS Entertainment Awards for his performance in the program. In 2012, Haha and South Korean reggae singer Skull debuted as the duo Skull & Haha, which is now known as RGP. They released their debut extended play called Ya Man!! in July 2012 while their first studio album titled No Problem!! was released in October 2018.


Haha enlisted for his mandatory military service in 2008 and was discharged in early 2010. He married singer Byul on November 30, 2012. They have three children, namely Dream, Soul, and Song.