Squid Game Season 2 cast: Who died in season 1 and who’s returning? 

Squid Game Season 2 is set to be released on December 26, 2024. The official date was announced by Netflix on August 1, 2024. A snippet of the incoming season was released on February 1, 2024, and showed the lead character, Seong Gi-hun (player 456), as he vows to track down the people behind the game and put an end to the dangerous enterprise.

In the first season of Squid Game, only Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) survives the deadly game as the other players, including Cho Sang-woo and Kang Sae-byeok are killed at different stages.

Lee Jung-Jae, who plays the character of Seong Gi-hun, will return in Season 2.

In a personal letter to fans of the award-winning Korean drama, actor Lee Jung-jae said:

“It’s been almost three years since season 1 met with incredible response around the world and many unimaginable events took place. I am beyond excited to be writing this letter to announce the date for season 2.”

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Squid Game season 1 plot and main cast

The Korean drama Squid Game was created, written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk as a Netflix original series. The hit series is based on the eponymous Squid Game, a secret game that features 456 participants who are in dire financial circumstances.

The lead character, Seong Gi-hun, a divorcee and gambling addict, joins the game as 'player 456' to settle his numerous debts. In the course of playing to win the cash prize of 45.6 billion Won, he is subjected to physical and psychological horrors from the organizers of the game and other contestants who will do anything to win.

The first season of the dystopian survival thriller stars Lee Jung-jae, who plays the central character Seong Gi-hun (player 456), Park Hae-soo, who plays the character Cho Sang-woo, a childhood friend of Seong Gi-hun and fellow contestant (player 218), Jung Ho-yeon, who plays the character Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector (player 067), Wi Ha-joon plays the character of Hwang Jun-ho, a policeman who sneaks into the game to find his missing brother.

The first season also features guest appearances from Gong Yoo, who plays a mysterious salesman who recruits players into the game, and Lee Byung-hun, who plays Hwang In-ho, the main overseer of the game.

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Squid Game season 2 plot, main cast and returning cast from season 1

According to Netflix, the returning cast from season 1 would include the central character, Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), the main overseer Hwang In-ho (played by Lee Byung-hun), Undercover policeman Hwang Jun-ho (played by Wi Ha-jun) and Gong Yoo, who plays the mysterious recruiter.

According to an official statement from Netflix, the show’s season 2 synopsis reads:

“Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport. Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway. But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organization proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it.”

According to the statement from Netflix on August 1, 2024, the new cast of Squid Game Season 2 includes Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Park Gyu-young, Yang Dong-geun, Jo Yu-ri, Lee David, Kang Ae-shim, Choi Seung-hun, Lee Jin-wook, Noh Jae-won and Won Ji-an. Their roles have not yet been revealed by the show runners.

Hwang Dong-hyuk, who directed the first season, will do the same for the upcoming season.

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The award-winning first season of Squid Game was action-packed with impressive performances from the cast. Fans can expect the second season to deliver as impressively.