SEOUL, Dec 30 — In Squid Game Season 2, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) returns to the deadly competition, determined to take down the shadowy cabal that runs the games.
Alongside a fresh wave of contestants, viewers meet a new character who is capturing hearts and sparking conversation — transgender Player 120, Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), a character whose height and courage immediately set her apart.
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk spoke about the decision to introduce a transgender character in the new season, explaining to Decider that Hyun-ju’s role was meant to shine a light on societal issues and raise awareness about marginalised groups, particularly gender minorities.
“By creating a character like Hyun-ju and through her choices, her actions, and the way she carries herself in the game, I hope that that could raise awareness of these issues that we face today,” Hwang shared with Decider.
He also spoke about the symbolic role of Hyun-ju, drawing parallels with Ali (Anupam Tripathi) from Season 1.
“In Season 1, the representative character was Ali, a foreigner working in Korea, one of the most representative minority groups in South Korea,” Hwang said.
“Today, unfortunately, in South Korean society, the gender minority is a group that is not as accepted widely. That’s why I created the character of Hyun-ju, a male-to-female transgender woman.”
While the transgender community has found significant representation on international TV, casting a transgender actor in South Korea presented challenges.
Hwang explained to TV Guide that, after conducting research, he found very few openly transgender actors in South Korea.
“In the beginning, we were thinking of casting an authentic transgender actor,” Hwang said.
“But in South Korean society, the LGBTQ community is still very much marginalised.”
Ultimately, Hwang chose Park Sung-hoon for the role of Hyun-ju.
Known for his bold performances in shows like 2022’s The Glory and 2024’s Queen of Tears, Park has garnered attention for his ability to take on complex, nuanced roles.
Hwang expressed complete trust in Park’s ability to bring Hyun-ju to life.
“I had complete trust in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent to portray this character,” Hwang was quoted as saying by Decider.
Park’s casting as a transgender character — who joins the deadly game to fund gender-affirming surgery — has been met with mixed reactions, but Hwang sees it as an important step towards greater acceptance of transgender individuals in Korea.
“By creating a character like Hyun-ju, I hope it can lead to more mainstream acceptance of transgender people in Korea, and pave the way for more transgender actresses to find prominent roles,” he said.
