When & why did In-ho become the Front Man? Everything we know so far about Lee Byung-hun’s return as 001 player in Squid Game 2 

On December 26, Netflix’s original series Squid Game came out with its second season, bringing back the show’s Front Man, played by Lee Byung-hun. The Front Man’s real name in the story was In-ho, who was the lost brother of police officer Hwang Jun-ho (played by Wi Ha-joon).

The backstory of Lee Byung-hun of how he became the Front Man has been a mystery throughout the first season of Squid Game. Although the exact origin story of Lee Byung-hun as the Front Man is still not clear, the reasons why he would have joined the game were somewhat made clear in the second season.

As known from the first season, Lee Byung-hun’s character was the winner of the 28th Squid Game edition held in 2015. Therefore, fans speculated that his appointment as Front Man would have been only after 2015, following which his brother Jun-ho was fiercely searching for him.

In the latest season, the backstory of Front Man was shown after he entered the game as player 001, following Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) reappearance in the game. Lee Byung-hun introduced himself as Young-il after entering the game as player 001.

Front Man entered the game to deal with some ideological differences between himself and Gi-hun. While the former had no hope in the society or mankind owing to his struggles and poor life experience, the latter hoped for the best for society.

Gi-hun, in pursuit of the Front Man, was oblivious to the fact that his adversary and antagonist of the game was already before him, masquerading as Young-il, also referred to as player 001.

Subsequently, as the narrative unfolded, Young-il divulged his adverse life experiences to Gi-hun.

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More about the backstory of Lee Byung-hun’s character, Front Man

Despite Front Man adopting a pseudonym, Young-il's character in the second season of Squid Game was significantly shaped by his real experiences. Prior to becoming the Front Man, his name was In-ho, a police officer devoted to his wife.

However, In-ho’s wife succumbed of acute cirrhosis. The initial four episodes of the second season provided insight into her demise. Young-il further informed Gi-hun that his wife's cirrhosis deteriorated to the extent that she required a liver transplant.

During her treatment, Front Man and his wife discovered that she was pregnant. Despite medical advice to terminate the pregnancy, she was resolute in her decision to give birth, regardless of the risks involved.

The couple faced difficulties in locating a liver donor, and her condition deteriorated.

The Front Man borrowed extensively and ultimately secured a loan from an inappropriate individual. The Front Man's supervisors perceived the payment as a bribe and terminated his employment despite his years of devoted service.

A dialogue between Jun-ho and his mother, who was the stepmother of the Front Man, elucidated the family's past. Years before the diagnosis of Front Man's wife, he donated a kidney to Jun-ho.

Consequently, when his wife fell ill, Front Man was unable to sell his own kidney to finance her treatment. The entire family was experiencing financial difficulties, rendering Jun-ho and his mother unable to assist with the payments. In the subsequent years, Front Man evaded his family and his wife's burial site.

Thus, such life experiences of Lee Byung-hun’s character in the story would have landed him in the game. His trust in humanity vanished due to his life challenges. This led Lee Byung-hun to enter the game and shatter Gi-hun’s confidence in mankind.

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The seven episodes of Squid Game season 2 are currently accessible on Netflix. The runtime for these episodes is around 60 minutes.

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