Latest news with #Hyun-ju
The Review Geek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Squid Game – K-drama Season 3 Episode 2 Recap & Review
Episode 2 Episode 2 of Squid Game Season 3 begins with Player 246 waking up. No-eul kills the doctor and decides to disguise 246 as a guard. Back to the game, the Red Team enters the arena. Each member has 30 minutes to kill at least one Blue Team member. Gi-hun goes after Dae-ho who narrowly avoids him every time. The Shaman and her followers go the way the 'ghosts' tell her. However, we see that she just avoids the noisy paths. Player 100 realises his key doesn't fit all the doors. He teams up with a Blue Team member who has a different key. Hyun-ju deduces the same, that there are 3 locks with 3 keys. Fortunately, the women have one of each key. Geum-ja and Jun-hee even give their key to Hyun-ju to save time. Myung-gi and Nam-gyu aka Player 124 kill two players at the same time, so they cannot betray each other. However, Nam-gyu drops Thanos' pill box and Min-su grabs one. He keeps hearing how he is a coward and he takes a pill. 226 runs into the three women and tries to negotiate with Hyun-ju to let him kill Jun-hee or Geum-ja. It seems that Hyun-ju may give in but she ends up killing him. Player 100 betrays his ally to escape a Red Team member and then later steals his key. Once it is announced that Myung-gi has passed, Jun-hee is hopeful that he will come to protect her and the women. However, Nam-gyu convinces Myung-gi to kill all the Blue Team members. That way, the Red Team members who fail to reach the quota will also be killed. And the prize money will increase for them and Jun-hee. Gi-hun ignores every Blue Team member who is not Dae-ho. Coincidentally, a Red Team member attacks Dae-ho but is accidentally killed. Dae-ho takes his knife and hides. Meanwhile, the women hide in a room as Jun-hee fractures her ankle. To make matters worse, she goes into labour. Yong-sik corners an injured Blue Team player. He is the one who dragged Yong-sik away from his mother during the Mingle game. The Blue Team player attacks but another Red Team player kills him while Yong-sik looks in shock. The Shaman accidentally leads her followers into an ambush set by Myung-gi and Nam-gyu. As she escapes, she runs into Gi-hun. Turns out, she is on his hit list as well. To save herself, she tells him about an injured Dae-ho leaving a trail of blood. Gi-hun leaves her and starts following the blood. She finally finds the exit but it needs all 3 keys to unlock it. Yong-sik comes across an injured Blue Team player but is unable to kill her. Player 100 plays dead and is almost killed by Nam-gyu, who is called away by Myung-gi. The Shaman finds 100 and since he has the remaining keys, she takes him to the exit. Geum-ja and Hyun-ju help Jun-hee give birth to her child. A Red Team member attacks and Hyun-ju fights back. They tussle but she kills him. She finally notices her surroundings and sees that she is at the exit. She unlocks the door as she has all 3 keys. She suddenly remembers Jun-hee and Geum-ja. She goes back to them but Myung-gi kills her. He finally notices Jun-hee and their child. He covers for them and leads Nam-gyu away. Player 100 betrays the Shaman and locks her out once he exits. She is cornered by a stoned Min-su looking for Se-mi. She tries to use her shamanic act to put him down, but it just reminds him of Nam-gyu. He kills her and then panics when he hallucinates killing Se-mi. Gi-hun finally finds Dae-ho who starts apologising and rambling. He never served in the army and lied so he could team up with him and Jung-bae. He also wanted to help bring the magazines but got scared during the rebellion. He begs for his life but then grabs his knife and attacks Gi-hun. He goes as far as to claim Gi-hun tricked them so he could get everyone killed and take all the prize money. Having had enough, Gi-hun chokes Dae-ho till he dies. Jun-hee and Geum-ja finally reach the exit, but while unlocking the door, Yong-sik finds them. With only a minute left on the clock, he needs to kill someone or he will be killed. He decides to kill Jun-hee and Geum-ja begs him to kill her instead. He refuses, going after Jun-hee and a desperate Geum-ja stops him by stabbing him with her hairpin blade. He apologises before the guards kill him for failing. At the end of Squid Game Season 3 Episode 2, Gi-hun convinces himself that it is his fault. Before he can kill himself, the guards stop him. The Episode Review Seems like the original Squid Game charm is indeed back. This game goes as far as to remind us of the marble game in Season 1, where fan-favourites were betrayed and/or killed off in bulk. It is completely action-packed and gory as even the Blue Team members fight back. The Old Man's motto of man being inherently selfish is seen in this game with players betraying even their allies. Maybe Hyun-ju should have been selfish; at least she wouldn't have been stabbed in the back, literally. The emotional quotient is even higher than the marble game, given that the characters had a whole season to be fleshed out and relatable. We already knew it was a bad move for Geum-ja and Jun-hee to switch with Yong-sik and Myung-gi, respectively. But we do wish Dae-ho could have been redeemed, as that would have made his death even more impactful. Instead, he does a complete 180 turn from his Season 2 personality, making him cruel without any set-up except for the previous episode's outburst. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Exclusive: Park Sung-hoon discusses playing transgender Hyun-ju on Squid Game 3
Actor Park Sung-hoon has played his share of antagonists' characters that make you grit your teeth and occasionally hurl popcorn at the screen. But in 'Squid Game 3', the Korean star flips the script in more ways than one. As Hyun-ju, a transgender woman who displays remarkable empathy and strength amidst the series' trademark chaos, Sung-hoon delivers a performance that's tender, layered, and full of quiet an exclusive chat with India Today, the actor opened up about the challenges and choices that came with portraying Hyun-ju, and what made him say yes when most people turned down the offer. 'So, I did have my concerns and worries being a cisgender actor playing a transgender character,' he admitted. 'I thought it would be a challenge, but I knew that it would help me grow as a person and as an actor," he makes Hyun-ju compelling isn't just her identity, but the way she navigates the brutal games with unwavering grace. 'I think Hyun-ju being a transgender woman is just one of the qualities that she has,' Sung-hoon said. 'She has other amazing qualities - like she's a selfless person, she cares about others and she has a good moral compass. So, I wanted to focus on those qualities.'advertisement That emphasis on humanity pays off in one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the season, where Hyun-ju makes a moral choice that will get fans talking. When asked whether he would make the same decision in real life, the actor didn't hesitate. 'I definitely would make the same choice that Hyun-ju made, because I love kids and I know that the sacred value of life surpasses everything else. And now that I have three, not two friends, I would have run back to them. But one difference that I would have is that after finding the exit and opening the door, I would look back once at the exit maybe,' he role marks a significant tonal shift for the 'Queen of Tears' actor, who previously stirred strong reactions as the manipulative Ha Do-yeong in 'The Glory'. 'Because I've been doing a lot of villains lately, I think this was a really nice air-freshening thing for me,' he added with a it comes to his personal ranking of roles that have shaped him, 'Squid Game's' Hyun-ju has earned his top billing. 'Ranking first would be Hyun-ju, definitely, and ranking second would be Eun-seong of 'Queen of Tears', and ranking third is a character that I'm currently filming for a Korean TV show called 'Efficient Dating for Singles'.'advertisementAnd as for his fans in India? Park had a special message: 'I want to make the time to definitely go see the Indian fans as soon as possible.''Squid Game 3' premieres on Netflix today. The season has a total of 6 episodes.- Ends
Time Magazine
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Ending of Squid Game
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Squid Game Season 3 Squid Game was never supposed to have a second season, let alone a third one. It wasn't even supposed to be a show—Hwang Dong-hyuk, the writer-director behind the global phenomenon, originally imagined the story as a film. However, the massive success of the series—Squid Game had been viewed nearly 600 million times prior to the release of the final season—led to more seasons. On Friday, the final six episodes of the series will premiere, closing out the devastating dystopian drama. Season 3 picks up right where the second season ended, following Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he heads back into the Game for a second time with the intention of ending it. At the end of Season 2, Gi-hun led a failed rebellion against the workers, soldiers, and managers who run the Game under the Front Man's (Lee Byung-hun) orders and on behalf of the VIPs. With their hope dashed, Gi-hun and his surviving allies head back into the Game. Who lives, who dies, and how does Hwang wrap the Korean-language drama up? Let's break down the brutal but hopeful ending of Squid Game. Who dies in Squid Game Season 3? Per tradition, most of the characters in Squid Game do not make it out of the season alive. Heading into Season 3, surviving Players include: trans woman Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), mother-son duo Geum-ja (Kang Ae-sim) and Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), pregnant contestant Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri) and her crypto YouTuber ex Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan), timid Min-su (Lee David), Thanos' right-hand man Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won), shaman Seon-nyeo (Chae Kuk-hee), and former marine Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul). Round 4 is a bloodbath, as the Players are randomly divided evenly into 'Knives' and 'Keys' categories. The Knives must kill a Key to stay alive, and the Keys must stay alive to, well, stay alive. Nam-gyu convinces fellow Knife Myung-gi to temporarily team. Myung-gi has promised Jun-hee, a Key, that he will find and protect her. Meanwhile, Jun-hee is with fellow Keys Geum-ja and Hyun-ju. They make a good team—when Jun-hee goes into labor, Geum-ja delivers the baby, while Hyun-ju protects them and finds a safe exit. The baby is born, but before they can escape the game, Hyun-ju is killed by Myung-gi. He runs off to keep Nam-gyu from going after Jun-hee, leaving Jun-hee and Geum-ja devastated by Hyun-ju's death. Gi-hun, who has been sorted onto the Knife team, has temporarily gone insane with vengeance. Devastated by the death of Jung-bae and the other people he led into the rebellion, he places all of the blame on Dae-ho. Dae-ho, who talked a big game about being a former marine, failed to bring back much-needed weapons to the rebellion because he was too scared to return to the fight. Gi-hun spends the round stalking Dae-ho and eventually kills him. 'It's your fault,' he tells Dae-ho, as he chokes the life from him. Shaman Seon-nyeo also dies in this round, killed by Min-su after she is betrayed by Player 100, aka Im Jeong-dae (Song Young-chang). Min-su, who has taken one of Thanos' pills, hallucinates Seon-nyeo as Nam-gyu, who has been torturing Min-su the whole game. Geum-ja and Jun-hee make their way toward the exit as the clock ticks down. They are found by Yong-sik, a Knife who has yet to kill anyone. Geum-ja tries to convince her son to kill her, but he turns his gaze towards Jun-hee instead. To protect Jun-hee, Geum-ja uses her hair piece to stab her own son. After the surviving Players are back in the dorm, Geum-ja tells Gi-hun he must do everything he can to protect Jun-hee and her baby. That night, Geum-ja hangs herself, unable to live with the knowledge that she killed her son. Round 5 is a deadly game of Jump Rope in which Players must make it across a narrow walkway without falling hundreds of feet below. Gi-hun has committed himself to protecting Jun-hee and the baby. He brings the baby across first but when he prepares to go back for Jun-hee, she chooses to step over the edge to her death. She knows that, with her swollen ankle and the limited time left, it will be almost impossible for Gi-hun to help her without losing his life too. Following Jun-hee's death, the baby assumes her role as Player 222. Does the Front Man reveal his identity to Gi-hun? One of the major questions heading into Season 3 was: will Hwang In-ho ever reveal his true identity to Gi-hun? In Season 2, In-ho went into the Game as Player 001, as a way to control the events and, let's be honest, torture Gi-hun a little bit. During Gi-hun's failed rebellion, In-ho switches back into Front Man mode. He pretends Player 001 is dead, and kills Gi-hun's friend, Jung-bae. As the Front Man, he taunts Gi-hun for his belief that he could end the Game. In Season 3, In-ho finally reveals himself to Gi-hun as the Front Man. At the end of Episode 4, '222,' the Front Man has his soldiers bring Gi-hun to his office ahead of the final round. In-ho gives Gi-hun a knife, and tells him that he should murder the other contestants in their sleep. If he does, Gi-hun and the baby can 'vote' to end the game and split the money between themselves. When Gi-hun asks the Front Man, 'Why are you suggesting this?,' In-ho removes his mask, revealing his identity as Player 001 to Gi-hun. Gi-hun is furious and considers killing In-ho with the knife. In-ho tells him it won't change anything: someone else will just take his place. In-ho claims that he is trying to help Gi-hun and the baby, but Gi-hun sees through him. He only wants more bloodshed. He wants to bring Gi-hun down to his level because, otherwise, In-ho has to question everything he has become. As is revealed in flashback, In-ho won his version of the Game by doing exactly what he suggests Gi-hun does: kill the remaining contestants in their sleep. In In-ho's mind, it was the choice anyone would make. But Gi-hun's refusal to take the same path proves In-ho could have made a different choice—he still could. The final round: game of towers The final round in Squid Game Season 3 is brutally simple. The remaining Players must navigate across three massive, tall stone towers. In order to progress to the next tower, they must kill one of the remaining players. At the end, any surviving players will split the money evenly. Heading into the round, Gi-hun and the baby are at a disadvantage. The remaining Players, including Player 100 and Myung-gi, are mostly thugs who care about making as much money as possible more than they do about their fellow contestants' lives. A high Min-su is an easy first target. They make a show of having a 'fair' vote for Min-su's elimination, and Myung-gi does the dirty work of pushing him over the edge to his death. In the next round, Gi-hun puts up much more of a fight. He has the baby to protect, and he has the knife given to him by In-ho. Without Gi-hun as an easy target, the thugs all turn on one another, with Myung-gi particularly brutal and effective. With only four players left—Myung-gi, Gi-hun, the baby, Player 100, and a beaten down Player 039—Myung-gi chooses to push Player 100 over the edge so he can ensure more money for himself. Player 039 chooses to roll over the edge himself, tired of playing the Game. Does Gi-hun die in Squid Game Season 3? Gi-hun dies in the final round of the Game. He makes it to the final tower with the baby and Myung-gi. Myung-gi tries to convince Gi-hun to hand over the baby, but Gi-hun refuses, believing Myung-gi plans on sacrificing his own child. They fight, and Myung-gi falls to his death. Unfortunately, neither men pushed the button signifying the start of the round, so Myung-gi's death does not count as this tower's sacrifice. Gi-hun is left with a terrible choice: kill the baby and survive, or sacrifice himself so that the baby can live. Much to the VIPs' astonishment, he chooses the latter. As they wait for him to kill a newborn, he instead stares them down with the baby in his arms. He cannot see them through their viewing room, but he knows they're there, watching with mild interest. Then, he turns away from them. What he says next isn't for them, it's for us. He kisses the baby and places her on the ground before looking into the camera: 'We are not horses. We are humans.' Then, Player 456, our audience surrogate in this deadly game, falls to his death. In sacrificing his life for the baby, Gi-hun is choosing humanity. He believes even the most vulnerable of humans has inherent worth, and should be protected. He refuses to play by the VIPs' rules, even when it means his own death. Gi-hun's decision shakes the Front Man, who has spent Seasons 2 and 3 trying to convince Gi-hun that humanity isn't worth trying to save. When he reveals his identity to Gi-hun in Episode 4, he asks him: 'Player 456, do you still have faith in people?' With Gi-hun's final choice, In-ho gets his answer. Who wins Squid Game in Season 3? Player 222, a newborn baby, wins the Game. Does Jun-ho see his brother again? Those hoping for a big reunion between Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) and his brother, In-ho, might be disappointed by the Squid Game ending. Soon after Gi-hun sacrifices himself, the Korean Coast Guard arrives on the island. They have been sent by Jun-ho, who learned the location of the island after rescuing an escaped Player 246 from the pink soldiers in pursuit. Knowing that the Coast Guard has arrived, In-ho orders the evacuation of the island, and initiates a 30-minute countdown for the facility's destruction. He has to destroy the evidence. The VIPs, of course, escape. Meanwhile, Jun-ho is searching the facility for his brother. He heads into the VIP watchroom just as In-ho makes it to the top of one of the Round 6's towers to retrieve the baby, aka Player 222, aka the winner of the Game. Jun-ho shoots the glass separating the VIPs' watch tower from the game arena, getting In-ho's attention. Jun-ho aims the gun at his brother, but cannot shoot him. In-ho is holding a baby. And, unlike In-ho, Jun-ho probably does not actually want to shoot his brother. Instead, he yells: 'Why? Why did you do it?' In-ho doesn't answer, turning his back and walking away. Six months later, Jun-ho arrives home to find Jun-hee's baby and the Game's winnings delivered to him, presumably left by In-ho. While In-ho may not want to talk to his brother, he seemingly wants him to have a good life. By giving the baby to Jun-ho, he seemingly wants the baby to have a good life, too. Does No-eul survive Squid Game? No-eul not only survives Squid Game, she plays a major role in the Game's downfall. By saving Player 246 so that he can return to his sick daughter, Na-yeon, No-eul sets the events in motion that allow Jun-ho and the Coast Guard to find the island. After helping Player 456 escape, No-eul destroys the evidence that he was ever there. She is sitting in the Front Man's office, prepared to kill herself, when she witnesses Gi-hun's sacrifice. She hears the baby cry, and she decides to live. Six months later, we see No-eul visit Player 246 at the amusement park where he still works as a caricature artist and where she used to work as a costumed performer. He doesn't recognize her as the pink suit soldier who saved his life because she never took her mask off. When Na-yeon arrives, she is happy and healthy. No-eul gifts her a lollipop and tells her not to get sick again. When No-eul is leaving, the refugee broker who helps North Korean defectors try to get their family members out calls No-eul: her daughter might be alive, and in China. Later, No-eul is at the airport, getting ready to board a plane to hopefully see her daughter. It's an echo of the Season 1 ending that saw Gi-hun getting ready to board a plane to see his daughter in Los Angeles. This time, however, the parent will get on the plane. Sae-byeok's brother, Cheol, is reunited with their mother Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) was one of the most important characters in Squid Game Season 1, and we see her briefly in a cameo. When Gi-hun is at his lowest in Season 3, and is considering slitting his fellow contestants' throats in their sleep, he remembers what Sae-byeok said to him: 'You're not a killer.' Later, we see Sae-byeok's brother, Cheol, at the airport with Sang-woo's mother, who has been taking care of him, and the refugee broker. Sae-byeok went into the Game to get the money to get her parents out of North Korea. Now, her mother is in South Korea, and has been reunited with her brother. The two embrace. They might not have the other members of their family, but they finally have one another. Part of Sae-byeok's wish has come true. The Front Man goes to LA to see Gi-hun's daughter In Season 1, Gi-hun is a deadbeat dad. It's one of the major reasons he goes into the Game in the first place. After winning, Gi-hun plans to go see his daughter, Ga-yeong, but chooses to try to end the Game instead. Following Gi-hun's death, In-ho travels to Los Angeles to see Gi-hun's daughter. When he knocks on the door of the house she lives in with her mom and stepdad, Ga-yeong is angry. She doesn't want to hear about her dad, who she understandably feels abandoned by. When In-ho tells her that her father is dead, she accepts the box of his belongings. Inside, is Gi-hun's bloody Player 456 uniform and a debit card with what is presumably his millions of dollars of winnings. Gi-hun has given his daughter the resourced future he always wanted to, but he isn't there to see it. In-ho didn't have to tell Ga-yeong about her father's death, or give her the money. He also didn't need to deliver it in person. The decision implies he might have been changed by Gi-hun's choice to hold onto his humanity. Could In-ho be poised to choose something different in the future? Cate Blanchett and the Squid Game: America Spin-off In the final scene of the episode, the Front Man is in a car after having dropped off Gi-hun's winnings to his daughter. He happens to hear the sounds of slapping and ddakji coming from a nearby alley, and rolls his window down to investigate. It is a Recruiter, played by Cate Blanchett. She catches the Front Man's eye and acknowledges him before returning to her work. While nothing has been confirmed at the time of this writing, the scene implies that we will see a version of the Game played in America. As we know from Season 1, the Game is played all over the world. In October 2024, sources told Deadline that an English-language Squid Game series was in the works with director David Fincher coming on to develop it. The final scene of Squid Game Season 3 could be the first scene of Squid Game: America. Does Squid Game have a happy ending? Squid Game doesn't have a happy ending because, as it exists now, capitalism doesn't have a happy ending. Still, Hwang leaves us with hope. The final episode of Squid Game is titled 'Humans are…' They are Gi-hun's final words. With them, Hwang is both leaving the statement open-ended for viewers to answer for themselves, as well as giving his own answer with Squid Game itself: Humans are susceptible to corruption, to greed, to vengeance. But we are prone towards caring for one another too, to making sacrifices to protect others, to hoping for something better. Gi-hun doesn't always make the moral choice—we see him murder Player 388 (Kang Ha-neul) out of shame and vengeance in Episode 2, 'Starry Night'—but he tries to be better, even after he has taken a human life. In a system designed to pit him against others, Gi-hun ultimately sides with humanity. It might not be a happy ending, but it's a hopeful one.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Park Sung-hoon on playing a trans character in 'Squid Game': Wanted to avoid caricature
South Korean star Park Sung-hoon says as a cis-gender actor playing a transgender woman Cho Hyun-ju in the globally popular " Squid Game ", he approached the character with empathy and hoped viewers would also warm up to her. In a virtual interview with PTI, the actor spoke about the challenges of portraying a character like Hyun-ju, the massive global popularity of "Squid Game" and his wish to travel to India someday. A prominent name in the Korean entertainment world with his roles in "Memorials" (Into the Ring), "Not Others", "The Glory" and "Queen of Tears", Park's casting initially attracted criticism in the media but he was eventually praised for his sensitive portrayal. "That (backlash) was the most difficult part of playing this character... Because I'm a cis-gender actor playing a transgender woman, there could be backlashes and concerns about that," Park told PTI. "Squid Game", created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, revolves around a deadly contest where 456 players, all facing financial hardship, play a series of deadly children's games to win 45.6 billion won in prize money. Park, who is returning for the third and final chapter of the series, said he realised early on that authenticity was the key to playing a character like Hyun-ju, a former sergeant in the South Korean military who has been discharged for wanting to transition. Unemployed and disowned by her family, she gets into the games in the hope to earn enough money for a gender-affirming surgery. "I wanted to avoid caricature and I didn't want to imitate any mannerisms or cliches... I really focused on the qualities that she has. She's a very selfless person, she's charismatic, has leadership, and is very brave. "Because she's such a cool character, I thought her being a transgender woman was just one of the qualities that she has. If I am empathetic of her when I'm portraying her, I just hoped that the viewers would warm up to her. Like Jang Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim), the old lady, warmed up to Hyun-ju in 'Squid Game'," he added. The third season of "Squid Game" is slated to premiere on Netflix on June 27. The first season of the show premiered on September 17 in 2021 and quickly became the most watched show on the streamer by attracting more than 142 million member households in the first four weeks of its release. It also won lead star Lee Jung-jae an Emmy Award. Park joined the show in the second season, which aired on Netflix on December 26 last year. The actor is happy that he got to play such an important role in the series but found it difficult to say goodbye. "It is always very sad to let a character, series or movie go, especially when you have such a cool character like Hyun-ju," he added. The 40-year-old actor said the many characters and their backstories in "Squid Game" make it easy for viewers to put themselves "in one of the character's shoes and resonate with that person". "It also talks about the sacred value of life and whether humanity is walking down the right path towards evolution and whether the voting system, for example, is the best way in a free democracy. So, it poses a lot of great questions that we all need to think about," he added. Does he have any plans to visit India someday? The actor said he would love to. "I was talking to Anupam Tripathi, who played Ali in season one, and I got very curious about this beautiful country, India, and I definitely want to visit there," he said. Season three of "Squid Game" will also feature Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Yang Dong-geun, Jo Yu-ri, Lee David, and Roh Jae-won.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Park Sung-hoon on playing a trans character in 'Squid Game': Wanted to avoid caricature
New Delhi, South Korean star Park Sung-hoon says as a cis-gender actor playing a transgender woman Cho Hyun-ju in the globally popular "Squid Game", he approached the character with empathy and hoped viewers would also warm up to her. In a virtual interview with PTI, the actor spoke about the challenges of portraying a character like Hyun-ju, the massive global popularity of "Squid Game" and his wish to travel to India someday. A prominent name in the Korean entertainment world with his roles in "Memorials" , "Not Others", "The Glory" and "Queen of Tears", Park's casting initially attracted criticism in the media but he was eventually praised for his sensitive portrayal. "That was the most difficult part of playing this character... Because I'm a cis-gender actor playing a transgender woman, there could be backlashes and concerns about that," Park told PTI. "Squid Game", created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, revolves around a deadly contest where 456 players, all facing financial hardship, play a series of deadly children's games to win 45.6 billion won in prize money. Park, who is returning for the third and final chapter of the series, said he realised early on that authenticity was the key to playing a character like Hyun-ju, a former sergeant in the South Korean military who has been discharged for wanting to transition. Unemployed and disowned by her family, she gets into the games in the hope to earn enough money for a gender-affirming surgery. "I wanted to avoid caricature and I didn't want to imitate any mannerisms or cliches... I really focused on the qualities that she has. She's a very selfless person, she's charismatic, has leadership, and is very brave. "Because she's such a cool character, I thought her being a transgender woman was just one of the qualities that she has. If I am empathetic of her when I'm portraying her, I just hoped that the viewers would warm up to her. Like Jang Geum-ja , the old lady, warmed up to Hyun-ju in 'Squid Game'," he added. The third season of "Squid Game" is slated to premiere on Netflix on June 27. The first season of the show premiered on September 17 in 2021 and quickly became the most watched show on the streamer by attracting more than 142 million member households in the first four weeks of its release. It also won lead star Lee Jung-jae an Emmy Award. Park joined the show in the second season, which aired on Netflix on December 26 last year. The actor is happy that he got to play such an important role in the series but found it difficult to say goodbye. "It is always very sad to let a character, series or movie go, especially when you have such a cool character like Hyun-ju," he added. The 40-year-old actor said the many characters and their backstories in "Squid Game" make it easy for viewers to put themselves "in one of the character's shoes and resonate with that person". "It also talks about the sacred value of life and whether humanity is walking down the right path towards evolution and whether the voting system, for example, is the best way in a free democracy. So, it poses a lot of great questions that we all need to think about," he added. Does he have any plans to visit India someday? The actor said he would love to. "I was talking to Anupam Tripathi, who played Ali in season one, and I got very curious about this beautiful country, India, and I definitely want to visit there," he said. Season three of "Squid Game" will also feature Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Yang Dong-geun, Jo Yu-ri, Lee David, and Roh Jae-won.
