Meet the players risking it all to win

Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun (Player 456)

After winning an Emmy and SAG Award for his powerful performance on Squid Game, Lee Jung-jae became a global star. Since then, he’s made his directorial debut with the spy thriller Hunt (2022) and joined the Star Wars universe as Jedi Master Sol on The Acolyte (2024).

Lee returns as Seong Gi-hun (Player 456), the winner of the original game. By season 3, he’s emotionally worn down but more determined than ever to dismantle the deadly competition once and for all.

He previously spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the show’s massive success, saying he was shocked but “grateful” for its international impact.

Reflecting on Gi-hun’s growth, he told The Korea Herald that while season 1 centered on a man torn by shifting emotions, later seasons reveal a more focused, driven Gi-hun. “The desire to stop the games becomes much stronger,” he said. “In a way, compared to season 1, instead of showing various sides of him, he’s portrayed in a more determined, fixed way, which made me reflect a lot.” 

Lee Byung-hun as The Front Man

A K-drama staple and Hollywood star, Lee Byung-hun has done it all — from G.I. Joe (2009–2013) to Terminator Genisys (2015), The Magnificent Seven (2016), and Netflix’s animated hit KPop Demon Hunters (2025). He also made history as the first Korean actor to present at the Oscars.

In Squid Game, Lee plays the evil Front Man, a former winner who now pulls the strings behind the titular game.

Regarding his character’s arc in season 3, the actor told Tudum that although the Front Man may “come off more ruthless and merciless,” there’s still a “last remaining piece of humanity” buried deep beneath the surface.

Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho

SAG Award nominee Wi Ha-joon broke out as fan-favorite detective Hwang Jun-ho on Squid Game, but he’s no stranger to Korean thrillers and dramas. His resume includes the cult horror hit Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) with his Squid Game costar Park Sung-hoon, as well as Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019), Midnight (2021), and Little Women (2022).

In the Netflix series, Wi plays Jun-ho, a tenacious detective determined to shut Squid Game down for good.

Jeon Seok-ho as Woo-seok

Jeon Seok-ho has shown off his range in everything from the horror drama Kingdom (2019–2020) to Hyena (2020) and Love Next Door (2024). He also teamed up with Ha-joon before in Miss and Mrs. Cops (2019).

In Squid Game, Jeon plays Choi Woo-seok, Jun-ho’s ally in the fight to rescue Gi-hun and bring the twisted game to an end.

Park Gyu-young as No-eul

With nearly a decade of acting under her belt, Park Gyu-young has become a familiar face in Korean dramas, starring in hits like It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) and Sweet Home (2020–2023).

Park portrays No-eul, a former North Korean soldier who is hired to serve as one of the Pink Guards.

Speaking to The Times, the actress shared, “I don’t think my character is on the bad side or the good side. I know I eliminate people using guns, but I think No-eul is a person who has a strong limit in herself about the moral values that human beings should have.”

She continued, “That’s why she has conflicts with the other Pink Guards who want to sell the organs of the eliminated people. I didn’t think there was a big difference between those bunnies and those Pink Guards’ masks — No-eul didn’t want to reveal herself totally because she has a deep, deep pain in her heart. There are similarities as well as differences between those two [versions of her].”

Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu (Player 124)

Since making his acting debut in 2022, Roh Jae-won has come to prominence thanks to Squid Game, the Netflix series Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023), and the Disney+ mystery crime thriller show Nine Puzzles (2025).

Roh joined Squid Game in season 2 as Nam-gyu (Player 124), a former club promoter who’s not afraid to play dirty. He uses cruelty as his weapon, intimidating weaker players to keep the real threats in check.

Chae Kuk-hee as Seon-nyeo (Player 044)

Chae Kuk-hee made waves in the 2020 drama series The World of the Married, but her first major role came on Squid Game as Seon-nyeo (Player 044). Her larger-than-life ego and past as a shaman make Player 044 come off as arrogant and selfish, getting under just about everyone’s skin.

Park Sung-hoon as Hyun-ju (Player 120)

Park Sung-hoon has played a range of characters over the years. He’s best known for his villainous turns on The Glory (2022–2023) and Queen of Tears (2024), the latter of which he filmed simultaneously with the final two seasons of Squid Game.

In Squid Game, Park takes on the role of Hyun-ju (Player 120), a transgender woman who joins the deadly game to win money for her transition. The actor told Variety he had “concerns” about playing the character, but nevertheless, he was “quite amazed at the opportunity.”

“I really wanted to approach it as cautiously and thoughtfully as possible,” he said.

Park helped shape the character as well. “I was the one that came up with her having short bangs,” he said. “And in the scene where she explains to the others how to use the MP5 submachine gun, I suggested the idea of adding the last ‘Understood’ line, because I felt like when she asks that, it really makes her strong and fierce. It shows you that she’s an ex-Special Forces soldier.”

Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho (Player 388)

South Korean star Kang Ha-neul got his first taste of fame with the dramas Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014) and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016). Since receiving praise for When the Camellia Blooms (2019), Kang has been on a roll, winning fans worldwide with The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (2022) and, of course, Squid Game.

He portrays Dae-ho (Player 388), whose cowardly move during the season 2 rebellion shakes things up in the final season.

Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik (Player 007)

Yang Dong-geun, a.k.a. YDG, is a triple threat (actor, rapper, and breakdancer) who’s been in the spotlight since childhood. He made a name for himself as a hip-hop star in the early 2000s and hasn’t slowed down since, shining on screen and on stage.

YDG plays Yong-sik (Player 007), an obsessive gambler desperate to win money and pay off his debts. His mother is also with him in the competition, and according to YDG, she’s the real game-changer.

“I think my character, Yong-sik, would win the games if his mom was not there,” he told ScreenRant. “His mom is the reason why he can’t keep voting to continue the games… I think his game and his character would be completely different had his mom not been there.”

Kang Ae-sim as Geum-ja (Player 149)

A favorite of Korean TV for years, Kang Ae-sim has starred in hits like When the Camellia Blooms (with Squid Game costar Kang Ha-neul), Bad and Crazy (2021–2022), and the Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022). But like many Squid Game cast members, she’s best known worldwide for her role in the Netflix sensation.

Kang portrays Geum-ja (Player 149), who’s in the deadly game for just one powerful reason: to save her son, Yong-sik (Player 007).

The actress spoke about her character with ScreenRant, explaining, “She’s lived a long time and has also gone through a lot. I think her approach to the games is that she’s really just razor-focused on keeping her son safe, and of course, she cares about others as well, but she is focused on the survival of her son and making sure that they get out safely.”

Jo Yu-ri as Jun-hee (Player 222)

Jo Yu-ri rose to fame in the music industry as part of the girl group Iz*One, which formed in 2018. After the group disbanded in 2021, she launched a successful solo career.

She plays Kim Jun-hee (Player 222), who, like many fellow players, enters the game after a bad investment. To up the stakes, she’s pregnant and fighting to make it out alive with the father of her child.

Yim Si-wan as Myung-gi (Player 333)

Yim Si-wan kicked off his career as a K-pop star with boy band ZE:A and its sub-group ZE:A Five before transitioning to acting. He gained serious buzz for The Attorney (2013) and Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014) before achieving international stardom with Squid Game.

Yim plays Myung-gi (Player 333), a former cryptocurrency influencer who lost big bucks. Now a fugitive on the run, he’s thrown into the deadly game alongside his ex and the mother of his child, Jun-hee (Player 222).

Lee Jin-uk as Gyeong-seok (Player 246)

Lee Jin-wook has been a well-known figure in Korean film and TV for years, with standout roles in Glass Castle (2008–2009), Nine (2013), Miss Granny (2014), and Sweet Home (2020–2024), the latter of which saw him star alongside Squid Game star Park Gyu-young.

In Squid Game, Lee portrays Gyeong-seok (Player 246), a devoted father who joins the brutal competition to protect his family at all costs.

Lee David as Min-su (Player 125)

Lee David is no stranger to his Squid Game cohorts, having worked with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk and Byung-hun in The Fortress (2017) and shared the screen with Jung-jae in Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019). Most recently, he starred in the 2025 action-horror flick Holy Night: Demon Hunters.

In Squid Game, Lee plays Min-su (Player 125), a quiet and timid contestant who gets pulled into the chaos after falling for a housing scam.