Kriti Mehrotra
While it’s true that Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ season 2 had the almost impossible task of at least matching its initial installment’s worldwide success, it actually managed to exceed expectations. That’s because it comprises the perfect blend of old and new so as to back once-winner Seong Gi-Hun (Player 456) as he tries to bring down the entire 6-day survival competition for good. Little did he know he would end up participating in the games all over again, only to find an unexpected ally in Gwangmyeong-si native as well as former army officer Cho Hyun-ju (Player 120).
Cho Hyun-ju Fell Into Crippling Debt Because of Her Truth
Since Hyun-ju was born into and raised by a caring family in the heart of society, she had their complete support when she decided to join the Republic of Korea’s Army Special Warfare Command. In fact, as she proved her mettle, she was even promoted to the rank of sergeant in this military unit, but everything turned upside down when she finally chose to share her truth with the world. The moment she came out as a transgender woman and expressed she wished to fully transition before moving forward with her life, she was essentially unfortunately cut off from society.
As per Hyun-ju’s own accounts, when she came out, her mother cried, her father stopped speaking to her altogether, and she was even let go from her job in the military without any compensation. Nevertheless, she bravely continued on the path she was on, unaware her daily expenses, top surgery, as well as other medical costs, would leave her in crippling debt worth over ₩330 million. Therefore, she stepped foot into Squid Game so as to pay off these debts and earn enough money to relocate to Thailand, where she hopes to complete her transition and settle down for good. After all, it’s no secret that there is a huge, supportive community of people like her in Land of Smiles.
The Casting for Cho Hyun-ju’s Character is Different Than Expected
While many fans understandably expected the character of Cho Hyun-ju to be played by a transgender actor or a fellow LGBTQ+ individual, it was portrayed by a cis and reportedly heterosexual man, actor Park Sung-hoon. According to reports, he had kickstarted his career in theater under the company Route 21 before landing some breakthrough roles in television, which truly helped him expand his wings. In fact, prior to ‘Squid Game,‘ he was most known for his appearance in ‘My Only One’ (2018-2019) as well as his villainous lead in shows like ‘The Glory (2018-2019) and ‘Queen of Tears’ (2024).
Therefore, when Sung-hoon was announced as Cho Hyun-ju in the Netflix original, there was significant backlash from fans across the globe over the casting not being authentic or inclusive. However, without even commenting on the matter directly, he soon managed to earn trust simply by speaking of Cho Hyun-ju’s character in a very careful as well as three-dimensional manner. He actually understood he needed to express Hyun-ju’s pain over her losses, her strength against adversity, and her hope for a better future without it being explicit, and he did it perfectly well.
Squid Game’s Creator Backed The Casting Decision
According to a recent interview with creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk by TV Guide, he knew from the get-go there would be an issue once Park Sung-hoo was announced as Cho Hyun-ju. Yet, he went ahead with it anyway because it was almost impossible for him to authentically cast for the transgender character owing to the fact the LGBTQ+ community in Korea is unfortunately still rather unsupported. Therefore, there aren’t many openly queer professionals in the entertainment industry there, so he couldn’t have the kind of inclusive casting he wanted and knew would have been ideal.
“In the beginning, we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor,” Hwang Dong-hyuk candidly said. “When we researched in Korea, there are close to no actors that are openly trans, let alone openly gay, because unfortunately, in Korean society currently, the LGBTQ community is rather still marginalized and more neglected, which is heartbreaking. It was near impossible to find someone who we could cast authentically.”
Therefore, with the nation’s prejudice against those in the LGBTQ+ community, even if there were such professionals, they were likely too afraid to come forward so publicly all at once. So, Dong-hyuk was essentially left with no choice but to cast a cis individual, amongst whom he picked Park Sung-hoo since he had been watching “his work ever since his debut and had complete trust in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent in portraying this character.” He was right.
Read More: Squid Game Season 2: Does Kim Jun-hee (Player 222) Die?
