One of many breakout new characters in Squid Game season 2 is Hyun-ju, a transgender lady who’s a former particular forces soldier coming into the sport to win cash to finish her gender-affirming surgical procedure. Participant 120 was each fierce and compassionate through the bloody competitors as she made pals and saved lives each within the video games and through Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae) rise up towards the guards. Nevertheless, many viewers have been stunned to seek out out the fan-favorite character was truly performed by a cisgender man, actor Park Sung-hoon, and never an precise transgender lady.

Creator/author/director Hwang Dong-hyuk advised TVGuide.com that he anticipated that type of response, however revealed the "heartbreaking" cause why he didn't forged a transgender feminine actor within the function.

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"I did anticipate such discussions to come up from the primary second I started creating the character Hyun-ju," Hwang advised the outlet. "At first we have been doing our analysis, and I used to be pondering of doing an genuine casting of a trans actor… Once we researched in Korea, there are near no actors which might be overtly trans, not to mention overtly homosexual, as a result of sadly within the Korean society at present, the LGBTQ group is reasonably nonetheless marginalized and extra uncared for, which is heartbreaking."

Hwang added that it was "close to inconceivable to seek out somebody who we may forged authentically" as a trans lady. "And that led us to the choice to forged Sung-hoon," he stated. "I’ve watched his work [playing many queer roles in Korean projects] ever since his debut, and I had full belief in him that he can be the suitable particular person when it comes to expertise in portraying this character."

There are only a few examples of different trans characters in Korean reveals, which is why Hwang needed to incorporate that illustration in season 2 since "it’s not as extensively accepted but."

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"I noticed the individuals who come to affix the video games in Squid Recreation as people who find themselves normally marginalized or uncared for from society, and never simply financially talking," Hwang advised Decider.com. "In season 1, the consultant character for that was Ali, who was a foreigner working in Korea, which is among the most consultant minority teams in Korea… As we speak, sadly, in Korean society, the gender minority is a gaggle that’s not as accepted extensively inside society, which is why I created the character Hyun-ju as a male to feminine transgender lady."

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All through season 2, Hyun-ju speaks about her life and challenges as a trans lady, together with the discrimination she confronted in her profession and relationships. Creator Hwang hopes that together with her story in Squid Recreation might help "increase consciousness of those points" many nonetheless face in the present day.

Squid Recreation season 2 is now streaming on Netflix, and can return with season 3 in 2025.

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