Squid Game

Squid Game season two introduced us to Cho Hyun-ju, known as Player 120, who despite being transgender is played by cisgender actor Park Sung-hoon.

After the majority of characters were killed by the end of season one, Squid Game introduced us to a new crop of talent fighting for their lives in the hopes of winning that chunky cash sum. Though I didn’t think anyone could replace the characters we grew to love before their untimely demise, I was proved wrong with the introduction of people like Thanos, Park Jung-bae, and Cho Hyun-ju.

When Sung-hoon’s casting as Hyun-ju was initially announced, it was met with a flurry of criticism as people suggested they should have cast a transgender person in the role.

 

“Could they not cast an actual transgender woman… this gonna p*ss me off,” one person wrote on Twitter.

Another said: “It feels wrong to not have the role be played by an actual trans woman, but since that’s already off the table, my only hope is that the character is done well. Please don’t be a stereotype.”

Squid Game creator reveals why they didn’t cast a transgender actor

Park Sung-hoon is a very accomplished actor with projects such as Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, My Only One, Memorials, and The Glory and Queen of Tears under his belt. Nonetheless, it was called into question whether he could translate the trans experience onto the Netflix show.
 

After seeing the pushback, Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk explained that casting a real transgender person could have exposed them to harm in South Korea where LGBTQ+ discrimination is still rife.

“When we researched in Korea, there are close to no actors that are openly trans, let alone openly gay, because unfortunately in the Korean society currently the LGBTQ community is rather still marginalised and more neglected, which is heartbreaking,” Dong-hyuk told TV Guide.

On his stepping into the transgender role, Sung-Hoon told Tudum: “Even though she faces prejudice and tough situations, she shows incredible strength, decisiveness, and natural leadership. Through her resilience, she breaks down stereotypes and shines as an inspiring character.”

Though we understand that representation matters in 2024, you also have to consider that while the West has begun to ramp up trans inclusion, even here those actors are exposed to persecution and vitriol. In places like South Korea, that hate is more widely accepted.

Though it would have been amazing to see a transgender Korean woman in the role, just having Player 120 as such an established character could push South Korea’s LGBTQ+ movement forward. You really love to see it.