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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Squid Game 3 originally had happy ending: Director Hwang Dong-hyuk
Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that the original plan was for the series to conclude on a much more hopeful note. PHOTO: REUTERS SEOUL - Squid Game, director Hwang Dong-hyuk's brainchild, wrapped its saga with Season 3, which topped Netflix's global TV charts on FlixPatrol within a day of release on J une 27 . But reviews have been divided, with some lauding its gripping twists and some criticising it for falling short of the original's creativity. Much of the backlash also centered on the ending, where Player 456 Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) dies to save a baby born during the deadly games. In a surprise twist, Hwang has revealed that the original plan was for the series to conclude on a much more hopeful note. 'When I first started thinking about the second season, I had a vague idea that Gi-hun would return to the game - maybe to destroy it or at least help a few people escape - and then go to see his daughter in the US,' Hwang said during a press interview held on June 30 in Seoul's Samcheong-dong. 'That was the rough storyline I initially had in mind. But as I began seriously writing the project, I asked myself, 'What is the story I truly want to tell?' And that led me to the realization that Gi-hun's journey had to end here.' Hwang emphasised that the show has always served as a reflection of contemporary realities. 'Compared to when I created Season 1, the world has gotten even worse. Economic inequality has deepened, ordinary people's lives have become more difficult and wars continue to escalate with no sign of ending,' he said. 'Every year, things seem to grow more serious by the day. But people don't seem to have either the will or the ability to fix it. If things continue this way, the future looks truly bleak. That's a reality I felt needed to be addressed.' He added that Gi-hun's tragic arc was meant to underline those themes, portraying 'the painful journey of someone like Gi-hun, an average or even below-average person'. In addition to the social message the series relayed, one of the elements that helped define Squid Game for viewers worldwide was its use of traditional Korean children's games repurposed into brutal life-or-death challenges. For Season 3, selecting the right games was not a straightforward task, according to Hwang. 'It may seem like any game could work, but when you actually try to adapt it, it becomes challenging,' he said. Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk (centre) attending a fan event with cast members Lee Jung-jae (left), Lee Byung-hun in Seoul, South Korea, on June 28. PHOTO: REUTERS 'You have to figure out how players will be eliminated, and there needs to be enough space in the game to allow character dynamics and story to unfold. The rules also must be clear so that the line between failure and success is well defined.' Some games did not make the cut. Hwang recalled considering the game 'Why did you come to my house?' which relies heavily on rock-paper-scissors and lacks narrative tension. Another idea involved tying players to a conveyor belt in 'Open the Dongdaemun gate' but he ultimately rejected it due to the excessive randomness and lack of character agency. One game that did survive development was tag, reimagined as a direct battle-to-the-death between contestants. 'Like the marble game in episode four of Season 1, I wanted the fourth game this time to carry the most emotional weight - a life-or-death moment for the characters. That's why I added the element of killing: to heighten the dramatic tension.' The finale also featured a surprise appearance by Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett, who plays a recruiter conducting a game of ddakji with new candidates in the US. Hwang said casting Blanchett was a deliberate choice aimed at flipping the script. 'Since the person playing the ddakji game in Korea was a man (Gong Yoo), I thought it would be interesting to have a female character appear at the end in the US,' he said. 'I was thinking, it's such a brief scene, who's the actress who can charismatically command the screen in that short amount of time? She's someone I've always admired, and I thought she was the perfect fit for the role. Our chief executive and producers agreed, so we reached out to her.' The US-based final scene and Blanchett's cameo sparked rumors of an American remake or sequel, but Hwang dismissed the speculation. As for the future of the franchise, Hwang left the door open for potential spinoffs rather than direct sequels. 'I've already conveyed all the messages I wanted to share in this season, so continuing the main story wouldn't be meaningful,' he noted. 'If anything, it would make more sense to carry on with a spinoff or side story. For example, something like the private lives of the masked figures. Remember the photo found at Captain Park's house with the Front Man? It was just a fun little Easter egg we included, but wouldn't it be interesting to explore what kind of relationship they had and what happened between them?' THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Telegram increases cooperation with South Korean police in criminal investigations
Telegram's new posture toward law enforcement is believed to have begun after its chief Pavel Durov was detained. PHOTO: REUTERS SEOUL - Telegram, known as a haven for anonymous communication, is now actively cooperating with South Korean police in criminal investigations, signaling a major policy shift by the platform long associated with untraceable messaging. According to the Korean National Police Agency on June 29, Telegram has responded to over 95 per cent of South Korean police requests for investigative data since October last year. More than 1,000 sets of user data, including subscriber details and IP logs, have reportedly been provided so far. When the police submit requests in the required format, Telegram reviews them to ensure they do not violate internal policies or international law before responding. The increased cooperation has led to a sharp rise in arrests for offenses such as sex crimes, drug trafficking and the creation of deepfake pornography. A high-profile case last month saw the South Gyeongsang Provincial Police arrest a high school student who created and distributed deepfake images, along with 23 others involved in the ring. Police conducted an undercover operation and worked closely with Telegram to make the arrests. Telegram's new posture toward law enforcement is believed to have begun after its chief Pavel Durov was detained in France last August. The Russian-born founder was reportedly under investigation for failing to curb illicit activity on the platform, including the distribution of child pornography, drug sales, fraud and money laundering. In response, Telegram has revised its privacy policy and overhauled its cooperation protocols with global law enforcement agencies. However, some experts warn of a 'balloon effect,' with criminals migrating to other encrypted messaging apps such as Signal, Viber and SimpleX. South Korea's police agency said they are now in talks with other platforms to ensure continued access to investigative data. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Jeju Air plane damaged in botched landing at Vietnam airport, no injuries
The tires on the plane's landing gear were damaged after it veered off course while landing at Vietnam's Da Nang International Airport. PHOTO: REUTERS SEOUL - Jeju Air, under public scrutiny after the deadly crash of Flight 2216 that killed 179 in late 2024 , had another scare recently when one of its planes experienced minor difficulties while landing at Da Nang International Airport in Vietnam, according to local news reports on May 29 . Jeju Air Flight 2217 from Incheon veered off course for a moment while landing at the airport in Vietnam at around 12.50am (1.50am, Singapore time) on May 28 . The aircraft carrying 183 passengers immediately returned to course and no one was injured, but the tires on the landing gear were damaged in the process. The airline replaced the tires in Da Nang and deployed a replacement plane of the same type — Boeing 737-800 — for the return flight. The return flight took off at 4.08pm the same day from Da Nang International Airport, 14 hours and 38 minutes later than the initially scheduled time. Jeju Air's fleet mostly comprises Boeing 737-800 planes, which was also the model of the ill-fated Flight 2216. Officials of South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are conducting an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident. Jeju Air, one of the leading budget carriers in Korea, suffered a major blow when Flight 2216 belly-landed at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province on Dec 29, 2024. The plane overshot the runway and crashed into a berm encasing a concrete structure, leading to an explosion that killed all of those onboard except two crew members in the back. The Transportation Ministry has confirmed a bird strike on at least one of the engines, but the exact details of the accident remain under probe. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
