Netflix/tvNAfter the release of Squid Game Season 3, Hyun-ju, aka Player 120, remains a clear fan favorite. But despite being a trans character, she’s not played by a transgender actor.
The third and final season of the Netflix series picks up where we left off after the devastating ending of Squid Game Season 2. Gi-hun is a broken man, but Front Man is not done with him yet.
The games continue, meaning expect plenty more character deaths. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk did warn us not to expect a happy ending, after all.
Until then, Cho Hyun-ju (played by Park Sung-hoon, who came under fire for another reason entirely) once again proves herself to be one of the best characters of the Netflix show.
Who is Hyun-ju in Squid Game?
NetflixHyun-ju is a trans woman who served in the ROK Special Forces. She held the rank of sergeant first class, but she lost her job when she came out as transgender.
Not only that, but none of her family or friends supported her decision. Left with no help to pay for gender-affirming surgery, she entered the games to make enough money for the procedure and move to Thailand to start a new life.
While she doesn’t always stay in everyone’s good books (she votes to continue the games in an emotional vote, betraying the trust of her allies in the competition), she does everything in her power to protect them in the next game, and she volunteers when Gi-hun stages a coup against the guards.
In a Netflix featurette, Park (who you may have seen in K-dramas like Queen of Tears and The Glory) said: “Even though she faces prejudices and tough situations, she shows incredible strength, decisiveness, and natural leadership. Through her resilience, she breaks down stereotypes and shines as an inspiring character.”
These character traits shine through in Season 3, where she protects Kim Jun-hee and Jang Geum-ja during Hide and Seek.
Why Hyun-ju isn’t played by a trans actress
NetflixHyun-ju’s actor isn’t trans in real life, and there’s a sad reason: there aren’t many openly trans actors due to Korea’s attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community.
As the show’s creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explained to TV Guide, “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 marginalized and more neglected, which is heartbreaking.”
Hwang had hoped for an “authentic casting of a trans actor”, and when he cast Park in the role, he “anticipated such discussions to arise from the first moment I began creating the character.”
“It was near impossible to find someone who we could cast authentically… and that led us to the decision to cast Sung-hoon. I have watched his work ever since his debut, and I had complete trust in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent in portraying this character.”
NetflixIn another interview with The Wrap, Hwang added: “She’s a person who got hurt a lot by social discrimination and prejudice. And there are many incidents in Korea where transgender people suffered prejudice and discrimination.
“Because I do know all the incidents, and I also have personal memories, and also on top of that, like, social incidents, but I wanted to emphasize the fact that even so, even if she is transgender, she has the inner beauty in herself as a human.”
Squid Game Season 3 is streaming on Netflix now. If you’ve watched it, check out our breakdown of the ending, every Squid Game challenge ranked, and find more TV shows out this month.
