December 26. Expectations are already high for the second season of the Netflix series ‘Squid Game’, which is scheduled to be released in about a month. Since season 1 was a mega hit that shook the world, global viewers are paying attention to the story that season 2 will tell.

However, along with the sky-high expectations and popularity, there are also concerns about the new actors who have joined the show, as well as the cruelty and sensationalism of the content. In relation to this, Director Hwang Dong-hyeok, the ‘chief’, who wrote and directed all the seasons, held a press conference and cautiously provided an explanation.
○“Choi Seung-hyun casting controversy, unpredictable”

Season 2 has added a lot of ‘new faces’ such as Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, and Yang Dong-geun, as well as Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, and Gong Yoo, who were active in the previous seasons, adding to the curiosity. However, some have raised the ‘friendship’ or ‘connection casting theory’ since two actors from the same agency as Park Sung-hoon, Lee Jin-wook, and Lee Byung-hun have joined.

Regarding this, Director Hwang stated, “When I was a rookie director, I cast an actor once at the request of someone else, and I regret it so much. Since then, it has become my principle and philosophy to never cast people like that,” he said firmly, adding, “Most of them are actors discovered through auditions.”

Regarding the casting of Choi Seung-hyun (former Big Bang member T.O.P), who has been the most criticized by the public, he honestly said, “(The drug charges) are already a thing of the past and his probation has ended, so I didn’t know it would become this controversial.” Choi Seung-hyun received a probationary sentence for drug charges in 2017 and halted his activities, and this production became his “comeback stage.”

Director Hwang said, “I didn’t expect it, but since this kind of controversy has arisen, we did a lot of verification through auditions and script readings. (Choi Seung-hyun) showed a lot of ability and his will was also strong.” He also said confidently, “After the drama is released, you will understand why we insisted on casting Choi Seung-hyun.”
○ “There will be no follow-up season”

‘Squid Game’ has been criticized for being somewhat excessive in that it deals with a ‘murder game’ where people die, but he emphasized that the level of expression such as violence, sensationalism, and murder is a “symbolic metaphor” that is absolutely necessary for the work. It has also been pointed out for ethical issues.

Regarding this, Director Hwang said, “I think it‘s less violent than a work in which a serial killer commits murder,” and hinted, “’Squid Game‘ will continue to ask the question, ’Can humanity and morality still exist in a competitive society?‘” in Season 2.

Director Hwang, who filmed Season 2 and Season 3 (to be released in 2025), each consisting of six episodes, simultaneously, shook his head when asked about his plans for the next season, saying, “Season 3 will be the finale.”

The reason for this was that “I’ve told all the stories I wanted to tell with ‘Squid Game’ through Seasons 2 and 3. There‘s no point in continuing after this work.” Director Hwang also drew attention by adding, “I earnestly hope that my next work will be a theatrical movie rather than an OTT (online video service) work.”


Reporter Seungmi Lee smlee@donga.com