In Squid Game season 2, Hyun-ju, a transgender woman and former special forces soldier, becomes a fan-favorite character. Known as Player 120, she enters the deadly games to win money for gender-affirming surgery, showing bravery and compassion as she saves lives and supports Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) in his rebellion. However, the decision to cast cisgender actor Park Sung-hoon in the role sparked discussions about representation.
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk addressed the decision, citing the challenges of casting a transgender actress in South Korea. “I did anticipate such discussions to arise from the first moment I began creating the character Hyun-ju,” Hwang told TVGuide.com. “In the beginning we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor… When we researched in Korea, there are close to no actors that are openly trans, let alone openly gay, because unfortunately in the Korean society currently, the LGBTQ community is rather still marginalized and more neglected, which is heartbreaking.”
Hwang explained that it was “near impossible” to find an openly trans actress and praised Sung-hoon’s performance. “I have watched his work [playing many queer roles in Korean projects] ever since his debut, and I had complete trust in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent in portraying this character,” he said.
Hyun-ju’s inclusion highlights societal marginalization. “I saw the people who come to join the games in Squid Game as people who are usually marginalized or neglected from society,” Hwang told Decider. He hopes her story, exploring discrimination and resilience, will “raise awareness of these issues.”
Squid Game season 2 is streaming now, with season 3 coming in 2025.
