Squid Game actor Yang Dong-geun, who plays Park Yong-sik (Player 007) in season 2, revealed that his character took a major turn during production. Yong-sik is a gambling addict who joins the games to clear his debts, unaware that his mother, Jang Geum-ja (played by Kang Ae-sim), has also entered to help him. The mother-son duo became a standout highlight of Squid Game season 2, as Yong-sik often grapples with choosing between protecting his mother from elimination and pushing forward in the deadly games to win the prize money.
In a Netflix featurette, Yang and Kang discussed how Yong-sik’s character evolved during the production of Squid Game season 2. Initially conceived by Squid Game director and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk as a tougher, more antagonistic character, Yong-sik’s dynamic softened significantly due to his mother’s compassionate presence in the games. Here’s what they had to say:
Yang: The director initially imagined Yong-sik to be stronger, more bully-like character.
Kang: Kind of sleazy.
Yang: But just having his mom there in the game with him brings out completely different sides of him. This is actually the hairstyle the director requested. So based on the hairstyle, he doesn’t come across as the strong character the director had in mind at all. He looks rather cute, dorky, and a little goofy.
Kang: To me, he’s a sweet black cotton candy.
What Yong-sik’s Transformation In Squid Game Means
It Went From Bully To Mama’s Boy
While Yong-sik’s original portrayal as a sleazy, antagonistic player could have added a unique layer of tension to the games, that role more than found its home in Choi Seung-hyun’s Thanos. With his striking purple hair and arrogant swagger, Thanos emerges as a cocky rapper whose ecstasy-fueled bloodlust and chaos make him a truly menacing force throughout the season. This shift surely allowed for a more layered characterization of Yong-sik, who is often torn between his instinct to protect his mother and the warm glow of the ever-growing piggy bank of prize money.
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Ultimately, his choice to continue the games and join the “O” voters exposes Yong-sik’s inner conflict and foreshadows his likely downfall for Squid Game season 3. His hesitation and cowardliness — yet cute or dorky — appear at critical moments, like when he abandoned Geum-ja during the chaos of Mingle, where players often avoided being paired with presumably weaker competitors. Nonetheless, Yong-sik’s dilemma reveals a deeply conflicted character who is both driven by survival and paralyzed by hesitation. He’s far from a traditional hero, but his vulnerabilities make him one of the show’s most tragically human players.
Our Take On Yong-sik’s Evolution
He’s Dorky, Sickly Sweet, & Doomed
Yong-sik’s dorky persona and Geum-ja’s impassioned parenting often balance the brutality of the games. As Yong-sik’s character shifted to focus on his flaws and love for his mother, Squid Game earned another emotionally charged arc with more beloved characters to root for as their doom appears evermore by the end of Squid Game season 2. His relationship with Geum-ja is a bittersweet anchor in a game that strips away humanity, and it’s this layered portrayal that not only tugs at heartstrings but also highlights Squid Game’s ability to make its characters—and their choices—hauntingly memorable.
Source: Netflix
In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully – but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.
- Release Date
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September 17, 2021
- Finale Year
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November 30, 2024
- Cast
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Wi Ha-joon
, Anupam Tripathi
, Oh Yeong-su
, Heo Sung-tae
, Park Hae-soo
, Jung Ho-yeon
, Lee Jung-jae
, Kim Joo-ryoung - Seasons
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2
- Writers
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Directors
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Showrunner
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Hwang Dong-hyuk