Park Sung-hoon Opens Up About New Squid Game Season 2
Park Sung-hoon understood the heavy responsibility of portraying Cho Hyun-ju, a trans woman, in Squid Game Season 2— a large step toward representation in South Korea.
Hyun-ju joins deadly games to fund her gender-affirming surgery, a storyline that placed the actor under significant pressure. “I was quite amazed at the opportunity — I felt like, as an actor it was going to be quite the challenge,” Sung-Hoon told Variety. However, as a cisgender man, he admitted, “I did have concerns about portraying a trans woman… I wanted to approach it as cautiously and thoughtfully as possible.”
The decision to cast the star came as South Korea lacked openly transgender actors as explained by Director Hwang Dong-hyuk who shared “While I was thinking of doing more authentic casting, it would be near impossible to find someone who we could cast.” Sung-hoon acknowledges the absence of trans representation in South Korea’s entertainment industry, and despite the controversy surrounding cisgender actors in trans roles, he took a thoughtful approach by preparing through conversations with other cisgender individuals to better understand their experiences
"Through her resilience, she breaks down stereotypes and shines as an inspiring character" The way Park Sung Hoon talks about his Squid Game 2 character ah pic.twitter.com/L6ugP9IDBU
— Andrew (@PsychoKolour) December 4, 2024
Hyun-Ju’s Impact and Fan Reception
Hyun-ju’s bravery and capabilities made her character stand out in the months since Squid Game season 2’s release, making it Netflix’s third-most-watched season ever. Many details about Hyun-ju’s character came from the actor’s collaboration with Hwang. For example, he suggested her short bangs and the dynamic “Understood” line during a pivotal scene.
Sung-hoon stated, “I hope that Hyun-ju will play a part in maybe getting rid of some of those biases… I hope everyone can be true to who they are and feel confident in doing so.” While criticism of cisgender actors in portraying trans roles remains, he has received overwhelming praise from fans. With a third season possibly coming out, the actor teased that fans can look forward to “more of Hyun-ju’s charms” as her story continues to unfold.
Never in my life would I expect Squid Game of all things to have amazing trans representation
Just the fact Cho Hyun-Ju is an actual character with a backstory and an important role is already crazy
They really treated her character with care and respect https://t.co/BOq0hSD1Tz— StaidBubble12 (@StaidBubble12) January 7, 2025
Squid Game seasons 1 and 2 are available on Netflix.
