‘Squid Game’ Star Lee Jung-jae Believes Jun-Ho Is Alive — But Doesn’t Ask Questions About Season 2

Sasha Urban
·3 min read
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On many television shows, the death of a main character can be unbearable for viewers. Fans might petition for a resurrection or feel blindsided if they learn that character somehow did survive. On “Squid Game,” though, beloved character deaths are par for the course.

The hit Korean Netflix drama follows 456 players who engage in brutal competitions for a massive cash prize and the chance of a better life, knowing that only one player will ultimately survive. In Season 1, that player was Gi-hun, a gambling addict who’s on the verge of giving up before he’s given the chance to join the games. The role is played by Lee Jung-jae, one of South Korea’s most famous actors who became a global superstar almost as soon as the show premiered last September.

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Now, with Season 2 on the way and most of the characters dead, it’s Lee who will bridge the gap between the seasons’ disparate storylines. After the season finale showed Gi-hun deciding to return to the games, “Squid Game” creator Hwang Donghyuk confirmed that only a couple other characters — the malevolent Front Man and possibly the game recruiter — would be returning for Season 2. But what about undercover cop Jun-ho (portrayed by Wi Ha-joon), who was shot off a cliff after nearly escaping the game’s bloodbath and learning the Front Man was his long-lost brother?

“No, I don’t think he’s dead,” Lee tells Variety, joining a legion of fans who agree with him.

“Squid Game” received an impressive 14 Emmy nominations, including for best drama series, writing and five acting noms, with Lee in the mix. Lee says he was especially happy to see Park Haesoo, who plays Gi-hun’s former classmate and final Squid Game opponent, Sang-woo, nominated for supporting actor.

While shooting Season 1, Lee made it a point to avoid as many spoilers as possible, knowing only what he had to for his performance and allowing everything else to influence him naturally. His favorite example of that is how he discovered the colorful and surreal sets.

“The sets were only written in text in the script, but I never asked about how it was going to be realized in terms of the visuals … because that helps me really bring out the emotions of the character,”

Lee says. “So after that, I never asked about the other sets.”

While many “Squid Game” fans might be eager to know what’s in store for the unlucky players of Season 2, Lee himself is holding back.

“Remembering that and how I was moved and impressed when I first walked onto the set as the character himself, I am refraining from asking any questions about how the character is going to be portrayed or what the set is going to be like for Season 2.”

Lee has been busy since the premiere of “Squid Game” Season 1, from becoming a global ambassador for Gucci in November to making his directorial debut at Cannes with the well- received spy thriller “Hunt,” which opens in Korean theaters Aug. 10. But from Season 1 to Season 2, he imagines his approach will be the same, regardless of what he’s done in between.

“Having directed a film once doesn’t give me that much to work with in terms of it influencing my next project,” Lee says. “I don’t know what I’m going to be bringing from that experience to the second season, because I believe that when a director has his or her own tempo in terms of telling the story and their vision of expression, it is the actor’s job to … collaborate with the director to achieve that vision.”

“It’s not like I’m going to be directing the second season,” Lee continues. “Nothing will be too different from how I went into the first season.”

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