Squid Game creator explains "heartbreaking" reason why male actor was cast as a trans woman

2 January 2025, 15:05

Squid Game creator explains why Player 120, Hyun-ju, is played by a man. Picture: Netflix

By Katie Louise Smith

Squid Game was criticised after it was revealed male actor Park Sung-hoon would play trans character Cho Hyun-ju in season 2.

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Squid Game creator and writer Hwang Dong-hyuk has explained his decision to cast a male actor as a transgender woman in season 2, calling the reason why "heartbreaking".

Squid Game season 2 introduces hundreds of brand new characters and several fan faves have already emerged amongst people who have watched the show, including the chaotic Thanos (Player 230) and pregnant Jun-hee (Player 222).

Hyun-ju (Player 120), played by Park Sung-hoon, has also become a major fan fave but the reaction to the actor's casting was widely criticised on social media at first. Why? Because Sung-hoon is a man portraying a trans woman.

At the time, many people questioned why a trans actress was not hired for the role. Hwang has now discussed why it was "near impossible" to make that happen.

Read more: Who survived Squid Game season 2? Every character still alive and who died
Read more: Squid Game season 3: Release date, cast, plot, spoilers and more

LGBTQ+ fans called out Squid Game after it was revealed that a male actor was playing a trans woman. Picture: Netflix

When Park Sung-hoon was first announced to be portraying Hyun-ju, LGBTQ+ fans on social media began to criticise the series, and express their concern and disappointment.

Some suggested that casting a male actor as a trans woman could be damaging, and even dangerous, for trans representation. Citing an important conversation brought up in the Disclosure documentary, people resurfaced writer Jen Richards' comments.

"Having cis men play trans women, in my mind, is a direct link to the violence against trans women," she says. "And in my mind, part of the reason that men end up killing, out of fear that other men will think that they’re gay for having been with trans women, is that the friends – the men whose judgement they fear of – only know trans women from media, and the people playing trans women are the men that they know."

Having trans actors play trans characters is about more than opportunity.@Disclosure_Doc is now on Netflix pic.twitter.com/u3zMiWhuew
— Netflix (@netflix) June 25, 2020

"This doesn’t happen when a trans woman plays a trans woman," Jen added. "When you see these women off-screen still as women, it completely deflates this idea that they’re somehow men in disguise."

Others, however, were quick to mention that this is a TV show from South Korea, where the transgender community is still discriminated against. As a result, there are very few openly LGBTQ+ actors in the country.

In an interview with TV Guide, creator Hwang explained: "I did anticipate such discussions to arise from the first moment I began creating the character Hyun-ju. In the beginning, we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor."

"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," he continued.

Park Sung-hoon plays Hyun-ju (Player 120) in Squid Game season 2. Picture: Getty

He went on to say that the search to find a trans actress was "near impossible", so he ultimately ended up casting Park Sung-hoon.

"I have watched his work ever since his debut, and I had completely trust in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent in portraying this character," he added.

According to NBC News, Netflix also confirmed that the show worked with trans and LGBTQ consultants while creating season 2.

Squid Game post-credits scene teases new season 3 game

Hyun-ju is a trans woman who joins the games to raise enough money to fund her gender-affirming surgery. After that she plans to move to Thailand where transgender people are accepted and live as her authentic self.

"My mom cried a lot and my father stopped talking to me. I got fired from my job [in the Special Forces], and lost all my friends,” Hyun-ju says in the show. Throughout the games, she emerges as a leader and forms friendships and alliances with several other players.

The inclusion of Hyun-ju is a major moment for LGBTQ+ representation (trans representation, specifically) in South Korean entertainment as there is a significant lack of queer characters in K-dramas. The reception to the character has been overwhelmingly positive, too.

Speaking to Decider about the casting decision, Hwang said: “By creating a character much like Hyun-ju and through her choices, her actions, and the way she carries herself in the game, I hope that that could raise awareness of these issues that we face today."