'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae addressed the backlash on Squid Game 2's cliffhanger ending and mixed reviews on the show overall. On Sunday, February 2, 2025, MK Sports released an interview with the actor, where he opened up about the changes in his character, the games in the series, and the ending of the second season.
According to Lee Jung-jae the mixed reviews from the viewers were due to the seemingly abrupt closure of the second season. He stated that it would appear to be disconnected from the pilot season if the episodes from the second and third seasons were released together. Jung-jae further explained that they would have been aired only next year if they were to be released at once.
“If they had released it after completing all 13 episodes, and I don’t know when they’ll be released next year, wouldn’t it have been uncomfortable to be separated from season 1? Netflix and the director must have thought a lot about this," he stated.
Trending
Lee Jung-jae continued:
“Also, there are negative reviews for any work. I think we should look at any reviews carefully because such things happen so naturally and often. Furthermore, since Season 3 is in the post-production stage, I think there is still room for improvement through post-production.”
Lee Jung-jae opens up about his character Sung Gi-hoon's goal-driven transition in Squid Game
Lee Jung-jae played the role of Seong Gi-hun, or player number 456, who emerged as the winner in the Squid Game season 1. The character witnessed the death of several participants and learned that the old man, aka player number 1, was behind orchestrating the whole game.
In Squid Game 2, Seong Gi-hun returned to the game after four years to stop more killing of people for the cash prize. His goal was to completely stop the game altogether. In the first season, he appeared to be a bright person who often joked around, but he went through changes due to the game; this made him showcase a more serious side.
Opening up about the difficulties of playing Seong Gi-hun, Lee Jung-jae said:
“Even though the character changed, I acted and learned why it changed, and I lived as Gi-hoon for about a year, so it wasn’t too difficult, but since the personality changed so much, I thought about where I could put in Gi-hoon’s cheerful and such aspects, even if only for a little while.”
In the interview with MK Sports, Lee Jung-jae also revealed how he tried to incorporate the small traits of Seong Gi-hun after his transition. He further added:
“Because I knew that you liked Gi-hoon’s bright energy, I tried to show that somehow, but it wasn’t easy. There was a character who was going toward a goal and a purpose, and the rest of the first part’s brightness and fun were arranged, so there was a role that was out of place to hold the center, so I couldn’t show Gi-hoon’s personality, and rather than feeling regretful, I worried a lot about whether I could find a way.”
Notably, Squid Game 2 also introduced new faces played by a cast, including Im Si-wan, Park Gyu-young, T.O.P, former IZ*ONE member Jo Yu-ri, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, and many more. All seven episodes of Squid Game 2 are available on Netflix for streaming, while the third season is set to air on June 27, 2025.
