Squid Game Season 3: We catch up with the lead cast to find out more!

It’s finally here — the third and final chapter of Squid Game has arrived; and with it, the promise of more tension, more drama and one last descent into the deadly world that first captivated audiences in 2021. Created by South Korean filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix, Squid Game thrust viewers into a darkly imaginative scenario where 456 desperate individuals, all burdened by crippling debt, compete in a high-stakes series of lethal games drawn from traditional children’s playgrounds. The prize? A life-altering 45.6 billion won — if they survive.

Squid Game Season 3 releases today on Netflix

Named after ojingeo, a Korean children’s game, the show draws deep inspiration from the creator’s personal experiences with financial hardship and his critique of class disparity and capitalism in South Korea. It struck a global chord almost immediately. Upon its release on September 17, 2021, the series not only won critical acclaim but also became Netflix’s most-watched show of all time, racking up major awards including six Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe.

Season 2 premiered on December 26, 2024 after a much-anticipated production run that began in mid-2023. But fans didn’t have to wait long for the conclusion — Season 3 was filmed back-to-back with its predecessor and officially lands today. As millions prepare to binge the final instalment, Indulge sat down with key members of the Season 3 cast for an exclusive interview. Be warned: what follows contains spoilers. Proceed with caution as we take you inside the world of Squid Game 3.

Lee Jung-jae, let’s start with the most important question, will the final season also see you trying to bring the Squid Games to an end?
I would say the short answer is yes, because Seong Gi-hun hasn’t achieved his goal yet. So, he is going to continue to try. But whether or not he’s going to approach it in the right way or try to find some other way; you will have to watch the third season to find out. All I can say is that it is a critical part of the third season.

Lee Byung-hun, you are one of the most well-known Korean actors across the globe. After such an amazing career, what has Squid Game come to mean to you?

I didn’t have that big of an expectation from it but then it became this big global phenomenon and we had to do the next season. So, now we had a backstory for the Front Man and he would take his mask off and join the cast as a main character in the show. So, this whole journey was full of surprises for me. At first, with Season 1, I was just surprised by the amount of love that I got from the fans and when I went for the promotions of Season 2, I was really surprised by the reaction of the fans. They really were very avid fans of the show. It was even bigger than when I was working on Hollywood projects and I would go on promotions. I think this project will help me expand my career in other places and industries as well.

Jo Yu-ri, how did you prepare to play the role of a pregnant woman?

I didn’t know a lot about pregnancy and childbirth, so I got a lot of advice to act as if it were a real situation and I got to know through a lot of people I know, so, I think I was able to prepare for the role. I’m completely new to the whole pregnancy and childbirth theme, but I still wanted to make sure that my performance was believable and really convincing.

Im Si-wan, how did you prepare to play for the role of Lee Myung-gi in this season?

I really asked around for advice to a lot of people and I have a close acquaintance who very recently gave birth, so I also sought her advice in order to prepare for my role. The trickiest part for me as I was leaning into the character Lee Myung-gi was how to define him — whether to define him as good or evil. I really thought hard about this and I also had to decide to which extent I would like to push myself.

Park Sung-hoon, this is Pride month across the world and people have been applauding you for your portrayal of a transgendered individual. Weren’t you afraid of a backlash from the community?

I did have my concerns about being a cisgender actor playing a transgender character and that it might not be received well by the transgender community or the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole. But I thought, being a transgendered individual is a characteristic of this person, Cho Hyun-ju — she has so many more admirable qualities. I wanted to focus on these qualities that she has. For example, she’s a very selfless person. She’s compassionate. She has a sense of justice. She’s very brave and she has leadership qualities as well. So, I decided to focus more on these qualities that she has. In preparing this character, I also visited a transgender bar and I did my research on YouTube and other media outlets. I also interviewed some transgender individuals, so I got to deep dive into their lives and that’s how I tried to flesh out this character.

Park Gyu-young, your character Kang No-eul has a lot of us wondering, which way will you go in Season 3, because you do have a soft side and you seem to empathise with a lot of the players?

My character will continue to struggle with the situations and I guess even more in this season. Kang No-eul will struggle with moral decisions and might also get into several altercations with other soldiers as the games and rules get more specific and harsher, this season.

Now with the show finally over, what’s next for you, Lee Jung-jae?

Well, a lot has changed with Squid Game and in particular, I now have so many global audiences and fans who recognise me and who are rooting for me. I think, going forward, I am trying more to work on projects that I feel will be able to resonate with a lot of the global audiences and bring them joy. I’m actually shooting a rom-com in Korea right now.

Lee Byung-hun, all of these games that are played in Squid Game are based on actual games that are played in Korea, so did you grow up playing any of them and which is your favourite?

I’ve played all of them and I think, you can’t find anyone in Korea who hasn’t played all of them. They’re very much loved games. I think I played Red Light, Green Light the most because whether you have a small group of friends or a big group, you can play it anywhere and with anyone.

Park Sung-hoon, you’ve always played an antagonist, but Cho Hyun-ju is so different as a role for you? Also do tell us about the upcoming season?

I’m a good guy, so playing a good person was not difficult for me (laughs). But as you said, I’ve played a lot of villains in my past projects. The funny thing is that when I was filming Squid Game for about six months, it overlapped with the production of Queen of Tears. So, you know, in the morning I’d be this villain in Queen of Tears and then at night it would be this virtuous character in Squid Game. I’d have to alternate between these two characters — polar opposites and that was fun! In Season 3, there are going to be a lot of very iconic sequences. There’s this game of hide-and-seek and there’s this long sequence where Kim Jun-hee gives birth to her baby and then I go looking for the exit and then I come back and yes, I die. There’s some really intense stuff in the season and I really enjoyed shooting all of it.

Finally, if you were given the chance to play another character in Squid Game, who would you choose and why?

Lee Jung-jae: Cho Sang-woo from Season 1 because I loved the character or The Front Man, for obvious reasons (laughs).

Lee Byung-hun: To be honest, I love my character the most, but if I had to choose, maybe Nam-gyu. I thought Roh Jae-won played him really well.

Jo Yu-ri: Definitely Cho Hyun-ju.

Im Si-wan: Same here. It has to be Cho Hyun-ju.

Park Sung-hoon: I think I really just love my own character the most , so nobody else (laughs).

Park Gyu-young: It has to be The Front Man, I love that character. 

Squid Game 3 is now streaming on Netflix.

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