Squid Game's second season has introduced a poignant new character, Hyun-ju, a transgender woman portrayed by Park Sung-hoon. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk disclosed the challenges of casting a transgender actress in South Korea's conservative social climate. The inclusion of Hyun-ju emphasizes the show's focus on marginalized groups, continuing the narrative from Season 1, and has garnered significant acclaim from fans.
The casting choice for the character Hyun-ju, also known as Player 120, was met with surprise from viewers, as the role of the transgender former soldier was played by the famous male Korean actor Park Sung-hoon. Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of the series, has since commented on the 'heartbreaking' decision. In the series, Hyun-ju hopes to win the deadly games’ prize money to fund her gender-affirming surgery and move to a more accepting society, such as Thailand.
In an interview with TV Guide, Hwang expressed his disappointment at the inability to cast a transgender woman in the role, stating, "When we researched in Korea, there are close to no actors that are openly trans, let alone openly gay, because unfortunately in Korean society currently, the LGBTQ+ community is still rather marginalized and neglected, which is heartbreaking." He added that the scarcity of openly transgender performers in South Korea led him to cast Park Sung-hoon, an experienced actor whose talent and dedication Hwang trusted implicitly.
Hwang also emphasized the importance of including a transgender character in his show, stating to Gizmodo that it was intended to focus on society’s marginalized groups. “The people who join the games in Squid Game are typically marginalized or neglected, not just financially but in other aspects of life,” he said, adding, “In season one, we had Ali, a foreign worker in Korea, as a representative of minority groups.”
For season two, the director aimed to represent gender minorities, who remain underrepresented and face significant societal challenges in Korea. Meanwhile, the character Hyun-ju has been praised by viewers as the 'MVP of Season 2'. Some have stated that "Hyun-ju (player 120) [is] the best character this season," while others expressed, "Hyun-ju (Park Sunghoon) carried the show! I supported this character every game. Hyun-ju is a wonderful character."
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