The cast of Squid Game 2 previews the new characters we will meet

Squid Game 2 brings back some familiar faces, including The acolyteLee Jung-hae as Gi-hun, also known as Player 456, as well as the mysterious leader, played by Lee Byung-hun. But the second season also introduces an entirely new supporting cast, which is to be expected since, well… almost all The other characters died in the first season.

In a recent Squid Game 2 On press day, io9 was part of a group of journalists who met some of the new competitors, with a translator helping them with interviews.

One thing about the second season that viewers will notice is that there is a greater variety of younger players this time around. They may be in their twenties, but that’s still enough time to make mistakes big enough to draw them into the Squid Game.

“I think a greater presence of the younger generation conveys the message that not even the youth or the younger generation are free from financial burdens or difficulties,” explained Yim Si-wan, whom viewers will meet in the second season as Lee Myung-gi. also known as Player 333.

Myungi is a would-be cryptocurrency king whose plan failed: he wiped out all his own money, as well as everything invested by others. When he arrives at the Squid Game, he is disturbed to learn that some of the other players are his angry (and recently bankrupt) former clients, but he is not ready to feel guilty for his part in their ruin.

“To me, Myung-gi is someone who easily blames others,” Yim said. “So when he joined the game, when he encountered people who were hostile towards him, he thought that they had failed because of his wrong decisions, not because of him. So he didn’t take responsibility. “That’s why I think Myung-gi was trying to rationalize or justify what he did.”

One of Myung-gi’s instant enemies is Kim Jun-hee, Player 222, played by Jo Yu-ri. Their situation is made even more awkward by the fact that she is his ex-girlfriend and there are serious unfinished business between them, even beyond the crypto disaster. Although their characters have plenty of drama, both Yim and Jo said optimistic things about being part of Squid GameThe great cast.

“For me, as a beginning actress, I took this as a valuable experience,” Jo said. “And working with such a respected (cast) and with actors and actresses that I always admired; as a new person in the industry, I took it as a very grateful experience.”

Yim agreed. “I feel the same as my co-actor. Our director (Hwang Dong-hyuk) When dealing with such a large cast, I think he didn’t lose control. He always had a firm grip on the cast. And then he tried to give life to each character (the way they deserve). So I was very happy with the direction.”

He also joked: “I remember the director was really happy when a character was killed off, because it meant one less burden to worry about.”

Another duo from the second season cast has more acting experience: Jang Geum-ja, Player 149, and his son, Park Yong-sik, Player 007, played by Kang Ae-sim and Yang Dong-geun, respectively.

Both artists She credited the time spent on set with helping to build what appears on screen as a realistic relationship between mother and son. “Yes“He was like a real mom to me, taking care of me and showing me that love,” Park said. “And we had six months of filming for the second season and that really helped us through this whole collaboration process. And of course, there was a portion of directing that director Hwang did that really contributed to this relationship that we had already built.”

Kang added, “And I think Dong-geun was able to give me really honest and truthful emotions, so we were able to work together synergistically.”

As for what motivated their characters to enroll separately in The Squid Game (on the first day, they are surprised to find themselves there), to be honest, it’s mostly Yong-sik’s fault.

“I think for my character, she’s really trying to earn this money for her son. So I think this selflessness is really what motivates her because she just doesn’t want the money for greed,” Jang said. “Her way of thinking about others, this aspect of herself… that’s really her strength.”

As for her son, “he really just needs the money,” Park explained. “He’s in a desperate situation where, you know, his organs could be sold (to help offset the money he owes). His life is in danger even outside of the games due to the debt he owes. So he’s really focused on making that money so he can pay off his debts.”

Meet players 007, 149, 222 and 333, and many more, when Squid Game 2 arrives on Netflix on December 26.

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