'Squid Game' star Jo Yu-ri to return as singer next month
'Squid Game' star Jo Yu-ri is poised to bring out her third EP, 'Episode 25', on July 14.
Jo Yu-ri is poised to bring out her third EP, Episode 25 , on July 14, her agency WakeOne Entertainment announced Tuesday.
The new release comes about two years since her previous EP Love All fronted by Taxi , which came in first place on a television music chart show.
The upcoming set is titled as the same as her fan concert that ended in April. It was her first such event since she went solo after her former group Iz*One disbanded.
At the fan concert, she performed the group's song Panorama as well as her unpublished solo single Growls and Purrs .
Meanwhile, she attended the preview event in New York for season 3 of the Netflix series Squid Game last week. She plays one of the main characters in the show, having survived the previous season. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
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The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
'Squid Game' star Jo Yu-ri to return as singer next month
'Squid Game' star Jo Yu-ri is poised to bring out her third EP, 'Episode 25', on July 14. Jo Yu-ri is poised to bring out her third EP, Episode 25 , on July 14, her agency WakeOne Entertainment announced Tuesday. The new release comes about two years since her previous EP Love All fronted by Taxi , which came in first place on a television music chart show. The upcoming set is titled as the same as her fan concert that ended in April. It was her first such event since she went solo after her former group Iz*One disbanded. At the fan concert, she performed the group's song Panorama as well as her unpublished solo single Growls and Purrs . Meanwhile, she attended the preview event in New York for season 3 of the Netflix series Squid Game last week. She plays one of the main characters in the show, having survived the previous season. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Squid Game S3 pulls out all the stops as Player 456 faces off with the Front Man
Actor Lee Byung-hun says his character in Squid Game – known as Front Man – has 'zero hope' in the current state of the world and especially in humanity. 'He believes in the utter loss of humanity,' Lee tells StarLifestyle in an exclusive Zoom interview. 'That's why he keeps pushing Gi-hun (Player 456, portrayed by Lee Jung-jae) to give up on humanity and to fail in his attempt to break the system.' Lee is dialling in from Seoul, South Korea, to talk to the Asian press about the hit series' third and final season, streaming on Netflix. Season 3 picks up exactly where Season 2 left off – with Gi-hun's rebellion failing disastrously and many of the players who followed him dead, including his best friend. Meanwhile, the Front Man – who infiltrated the game as Player 001 in the second season – is now back behind the mask to meddle in the surviving players' choices as each round results in gruesome deaths. All the while, keeping a close watch on how Gi-hun is reacting to what's happened. Byung-hun, 54, explains why the Front Man is so fixated on Gi-hun: 'On the one hand, the Front Man is trying to break Gi-hun's spirit and have him, you know, fall apart. 'On the other hand, I think he strangely has this underlying envy or jealousy towards him that he is doing something that he himself couldn't do in the past... 'The Front Man sees himself in Gi-hun. That's why he's so invested.' The Front Man has zero empathy, says actor Lee Byung-hun. At the start of the new season, Gi-hun – the sole survivor and previous winner – discovers that nothing he's done so far has brought an ounce of change in his bid to stop the deadly competition forever. Worse, the game that pits financially strapped, desperate people continues as before, with the players either killing each other or getting killed in order to win large amounts of cash. At a press conference held in Seoul and live-streamed to Malaysian and Singaporean media, Jung-jae shares what's in store for his character in the final season. 'Witnessing the death of his friend, as well as failing to save a lot of the players in the game, Gi-hun is overwhelmed by guilt and despair,' the Emmy-nominated actor says. But with the game still in play, the 52-year-old actor adds: 'Gi-hun must decide what he really needs to do. You'll see his character evolve from there'. As Gi-hun makes his next move, the Front Man – who's watching him closely – comes up with a counterplan. Byung-hun, describing S3 as 'extremely dramatic and intense' at the press conference, adds: 'If you see S2 and S3 as one continuous storyline, I believe the true climax lies in S3. 'In many ways, it's the ultimate showdown between these two characters.' Gi-hun is overwhelmed by despair at the start of S3. Of course, Squid Game wouldn't be what it is without its 'twisted and fatal' versions of childhood games. As seen in the Season 2 post-credit scene and trailers for the third season, one of the featured games is a deadly jump rope challenge involving fan-favourite doll Young-hee and a new deadly doll, Cheol-su. Director-writer Hwang Dong-hyuk, 54, hints further as to what new challenges are in S3. 'As you may have seen in the main trailer, there's a game involving a rotating jump rope that's suspended high above the ground, and there's a bridge. Some players fall when the rope reaches them. 'There's also a maze-like space where players wear blue and red vests, playing what resembles a game of hide-and-seek. "There may be other types of games happening within that space as well,' he lets on. Of course, once again, Hwang uses these childhood games as metaphors for modern capitalist society and its underlying conflicts. He also reveals why he introduced Cheol-su this time around: 'Young-hee and Cheol-su are always paired together in our elementary school textbooks – they are best friends. 'So if we were going to have another season, I wanted both of them to appear, especially in a game. 'I wanted the global audience to know that it's not just Young-hee; there's also a boy character named Cheol-su. That's why I added him to Squid Game S3.' Mechanical doll Young-hee is singing a different tune in S3 and has a new friend too. Hwang confirms there are no current plans for another season of Squid Game, stating the final chapter will feel complete. That said, he's open to exploring more stories within the Squid Game universe if such an opportunity arises. 'Sometimes, as I'm writing, I get curious – what were these characters up to over the years? What were their lives like outside the game? 'That curiosity makes me want to explore more, which is why I've thought about doing spin-offs,' Hwang says of the series that premiered in 2021 and quickly became a global phenomenon. The first season of Squid Game remains as one of Netflix's most popular shows, garnering 265 million views. Its second season, which was released in December 2024, made it to the streamer's global Most Popular Non-English TV list in just three days and has had 193 million views. Calling the Squid Game journey as 'a miracle', Hwang says: 'Everyone wants to have a successful career and a project, but nobody would have expected this much success from one project. "Over the past five years, I've had many meaningful experiences – going overseas, winning awards, meeting fans – but what I cherish most is the time spent on set with these incredible actors. "Working with them helped me grow both as a person and a creator," surmises Hwang. Director Hwang Hwang Dong-hyuk (centre) calls his 'Squid Game' journey as a miracle as it allowed him to grow creatively. Both Jung-jae and Byung-hun agree they're proud to be part of a layered show that tackles humanity, capitalism and social inequality, while delivering rich characters. 'Whenever I meet fans – whether in Korea or abroad – they each have their own personal reason for loving the show. "And they root for different characters based on who they connect with, which often depends on their personal circumstances,' says Jung-jae. Byung-hun adds: "I think Squid Game resonates globally because, even though it's rooted in Korean elements – like the childhood games we all grew up with – it deals with universal themes. 'It's about conflict, competition and, most of all, the absence of humanity. No matter where you're from, those ideas hit close to home. 'It makes you think about the world we live in, and how we can make it better." Squid Game Season Three premieres on Netflix on June 27.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Squid Game invades Lalaport BBCC with giant dolls and fan challenges for final season premiere
KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — Before it became Lalaport Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC), the site was home to the infamous Pudu Jail. Now, for this weekend only, the iconic location will host a mini 'Squid Game' themed arena in conjunction with the premiere of the Netflix series' final season. The Lalaport Plaza Entrance, near the water fountain, has been transformed into a vibrant homage to the hit series. Towering over the event are two 22-foot dolls: the infamous Young-hee and her counterpart Cheol-su, who first appeared in the post-credit scene of Season 2. Both dolls will preside over a game of 'Jumping Ropes,' inviting visitors to participate. Fans can also immerse themselves in life-sized recreations of iconic backdrops from the show, including a giant Dalgona cookie with a unique Malaysian twist and a Biseokchigi or 'Flying Stone' game set. Members of the public are encouraged to dress as their favourite Squid Game characters, creating their own Player 456-inspired memories. The life-sized Biseokchigi or the 'Flying Stone' game backdrop. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa Event Details The 'Jumping Rope' game will run across multiple sessions: • Friday, June 27: 2pm to 3pm and 5pm to 7pm. • Weekend, June 28-29: 10am to 11am, in addition to the Friday timings. Eligibility to Participate: Participants must be 18 years old and above. Participants must be legal residents of Malaysia. Registration via the official Google Form is mandatory. Employees and partners of the organising parties are ineligible to win prizes. Since its debut on Netflix in 2021, Squid Game has become a global sensation. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa Netflix Malaysia previously brought the Squid Game experience to the Ampang Park MRT station for the Season 2 premiere. The final season picks up after Season 2's intense cliffhanger, as Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) grapples with overwhelming despair. The Squid Game spares no one, forcing him and the surviving players into even deadlier contests that test their resolve. Since its debut on Netflix in 2021, Squid Game has become a global sensation. The show holds the record as Netflix's number-one non-English language series of all time, with its second season ranking as the streaming platform's third-biggest TV show season ever, garnering 192.6 million views. The final season of Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix.
