Squid Game cemented its position as one of the most-watched Korean drama shows on Netflix worldwide. The thriller-suspense series not only won the hearts of millions of people but also won 6 Primetime Emmy Awards across categories from a total of 14 nominations. So, with Squid Game Season 2 lined up for this December, let’s look at the cast of the original season of Squid Game and the new characters we will see in Season 2.
1. Lee Jung-Jae as Seong Gi-hun
Lee Jung-Jae appears as the protagonist of Squid Game. He takes up the role of Seong Gi-Hun, a habitual gambler who needs money to win the custody of his daughter. He is actively looking for ways to make money but has no luck. On top of all these troubles, he finds out that his mother needs surgery making him even more desperate. When The Salesman offers him an opportunity to make easy money, he takes it without much thought but it turns out to be one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
When we talk about acting talent, Lee Jung-Jae’s name cannot be left out. He has starred in multiple amazing movies such as Deliver Us From Evil (2020) along with a highly acclaimed Korean drama titled Chief of Staff. He has also played the protagonist in the latest addition to the Star Wars universe, a limited series titled The Acolyte.
2. Park Hae-Soo as Cho Sang-Woo
Another notable character in Squid Game is Cho Sang-Woo played by Park Hae-Soo. He is the childhood friend of Seong Gi-Hun and the only success story from his neighborhood. Sang-Woo graduated from a good college and became a business investor. However, he was guilty of stealing money was in massive debt. The police were after him as well so to prevent himself from getting caught and to make enough money to pay back the debt, he joined the game.
Park Hae-Soo is mostly recognized for Prison Playbook released in 2017. He also played the role of “Berlin” in the Korean adaptation of Money Heist.
3. Tripathi Anupam as Abdul Ali
Abdul Ali is one of the only non-Korean contestants in the game. In the series, he is a Pakistani immigrant. He used to work at a factory where he lost a couple of fingers because of an accident. Following this, his boss refused to pay compensation to him and he could not find work anywhere else because of his injury. He joined the Squid Game to get money for his family.
Tripathi Anupam is an Indian-born actor who is one of the few non-Korean actors working actively on Korean television. He has appeared on highly popular shows like Hospital Playlist and Descendents of The Sun. He appears in a minor role in Space Sweepers as well. However, Anupam’s inclusion in the cast of Squid Game is seen to be his breakthrough role.
4. Jung Ho-Yeon as Kang Sae-Byeok
Kang Sae-Byeok is one of the minor characters in Squid Game. She joined the game to raise money to facilitate the escape of her family from North Korea and to create a better life for her brother currently living in an orphanage.
Appearing in the cast of Squid Game is the television debut of Jung Ho-Yeon. Before this, she was seen on screen as a contestant on Korea’s Next Top Model, the Korean version of America’s Top Model. However, her appearance in Squid Game got her a kickstart in the industry since she is now working on other projects as well.
5. Wi Ha-Joon as Hwang Jun-Ho
Hwang Jun-Ho is a talented police officer who has been tracking the disappearance of his brother for years. Through his extensive investigation, he figured out that there was something like the game out there and eventually found a way into the game. We see that he takes down one of the guards and takes his place. This starts a sub-plot within the series which does not feel or look excessive at any point.
Wi Ha-Joon has had an extensive career in Korean cinema. He has appeared in successful films like Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum and his range of acting can be understood by the versatile roles he has played in his career like the romantic show Something in The Rain and Midnight where he appears as a serial killer.
6. Oh Young-Soo as Oh Il-Nam
The oldest contestant in Squid Game was Oh Il-Nam. Even though he seems to be the most vulnerable character in the series, he is the one who will be responsible for the most shocking turn of events you will witness in Squid Game season 1. We see that Gi-Hun feels somewhat responsible for the old man and is also teamed up with him for the game’s challenges.
Oh Young-Soo is a veteran actor and is majorly known for playing the role of a monk in movies like 2003’s A Little Monk and Spring but he has also appeared in the show titled Chocolate which is considered to be one of the best K-Drama shows.
7. Kim Joo-Ryoung as Han Mi-Nyeo
There is not much revealed regarding the backstory of Han Mi-Nyeo, however, she is displayed as a character who is willing to go to any extent for the sake of her survival. She teams up with a lot of people but at the end of the day ends up getting betrayed by all of them and eventually gets herself killed.
Kim Joo-Ryoung has appeared in shows like Sleepless Night and Mr. Sunshine. However, her career has seen a massive boost after appearing in the cast of Squid Game since she has taken up roles in multiple shows like Monstrous, Sabotage City, and Revenge of Others.
8. Heo Sung-Tae as Jang Deok-Su
Jang Deok-Su was a gangster in Seol and was doing well in the underground. However, he got greedy and stole from his boss putting his life in danger. He was also buried in a massive gambling debt making him desperate for money and hence forcing him to join the Squid Game.
Heo Sung-Tae has some experience playing morally grey characters which is evident by his role as a ruthless and immoral businessman in 2021’s Beyond Evil. However, he is quite diverse when it comes to acting which can be seen in Netflix’s Racket Boys where he appears as the coach of a kid’s badminton team.
9. Lee Byung-Hun as In-Ho
In-Ho appears in Squid Game as The Front Man, he is the one who controls everything that is going on in the game. This character is also at the center of Hwang Jun-Ho’s subplot resulting in a massive reveal by the end of the season. He is one of the few characters set to return in the cast of Squid Game Season 2.
Lee Byung-Hun is a veteran actor who has appeared in some of the highest-grossing movies both in Korean cinema and in Hollywood. He can be seen in movies like “The Good, The Bad, The Weird“, Inside Men, G.I. Joe, and The Magnificent Seven.
10. Gong Yoo as The Salesman
Even though The Salesman is a minor character in Squid Game, he is technically one of the most important ones as well. The Salesman is the one who tracks down financially desperate people and persuades them to join the Squid Game. He is also one of the characters who will make a return in Squid Game Season 2.
Gong Yoo is an extremely talented actor and is known worldwide for the role he played in the 2016 zombie movie Train To Busan. He has also appeared in the critically acclaimed show Coffee Prince which is said to be his breakthrough appearance.
New Cast Members Joining Squid Game Season 2
Along with these returning cast members, some new faces will be joining Squid Game Season 2. However, as of now, we have no details about the characters they will be playing and the extent of their roles. But, we have the names of the actors joining the cast which was announced with a video posted on YouTube by Netflix. The Squid Game season 2 cast of new members includes the following actors-
- Yang Dong-geun
- Kang Ae-Sim
- Lee David
- Lee Jin-Uk
- Yim Si-Wan
- Kang Ha-Neul
- Park Gyu-Young
- Park Sung-Hoon
- Jo Yu-Ri
- Choi Seung-Hyun
- Roh Jae-Won
- Won Ji-An
So, with that being said, we know that our favorite characters are coming back for Squid Game Season 2, and along with them, some new actors will be joining them making this season even bigger than the first one. So, Let’s wait and see what Netflix has in store for us, and till then, stay tuned for further updates!
Aparna Ukil
