Squid Game cast: See the actors joining the hit Netflix series in season 2

Though Netflix has yet to reveal the premiere date for Squid Game season 2, the streamer has released a sizzle reel and announced the cast for the second installment. In June 2023, returning cast members joined new actors for their first table read. Although the characters (and their motives) are still under wraps, fans’ anticipation has only increased. 

Squid Game was a cultural phenomenon upon its release in 2021, quickly becoming Netflix’s biggest series launch ever and the first Korean show to reach no. 1 in the U.S. It captured the imagination of viewers across the globe, who produced endless memes and TikTok parodies. Netflix capitalized on the hype and created a (surprisingly good) spin-off reality series, which “manages to serve up palpable suspense and authentic human drama without murdering a single contestant,” says EW’s critic.

Squid Game season 2 began production at the end of 2023, and the cast features many heavyweight actors, both veterans and fresh faces alike. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who won an Emmy for his efforts in season 1, is directing every episode once again.

Join EW as we review the actors returning for season 2 and introduce you to the new members of the Squid Game cast.

Returning Squid Game cast members:

Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun)

Lee Jung-jae portrays a divorced gambling addict, Seong Gi-hun, who initially participated in the game to prove his ability to support his daughter. In the first season, Gi-hun wins the game… but at a cost.

Jung-jae’s breakthrough role came in 1998 with the award-winning film An Affair by E J-Young. In addition to Squid Game — for which he earned an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series — Jung-jae is best known for The Face Reader (2013), Deliver Us From Evil (2020), and Hunt (2022).

Lee Byung-hun (Hwang In-ho, a.k.a. the Front Man)

Lee Byung-hun recurred in the first season as Hwang In-ho, also known as the overseer of the game, a.k.a. the Front Man.

Lee was well-established as an international actor before Squid Game. He has starred in the movies Joint Security Area (2000), A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Good the Bad and the Weird (2008), G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), I Saw the Devil (2010), and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013). Additionally, he was featured in the television shows Mr. Sunshine (2018) and Our Blues (2022).

Wi Ha-jun (Hwang Jun-ho)

Hwang Jun-ho, played by Wi Ha-jun, is a police officer who enters the competition disguised as a security guard to find his missing brother.

Ha-jun is a well-known actor who appeared with Squid Game newcomer Park Sung-hoon in Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018). He also starred in Miss & Mrs. Cops (2019), Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019), Midnight (2021), and Bad and Crazy (2021–2022). In 2022, he starred as mysterious Choi Do-il on the South Korean television remake of Little Women.

Gong Yoo (the Salesman)

Gong Yoo will return in season 2 as the mysterious “Salesman” who recruits participants for the game.

Yoo has been acting for two decades now, appearing in the movies Finding Mr. Destiny (2010) and Seo Bok (2021) in addition to the TV show Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017). He is most famous, however, for having starred as Seok-woo in the brilliant zombie actioner Train to Busan (2016).

New Squid Game cast members:

Yim Si-wan

Yim Si-wan will be joining season 2 in an unspecified role. He is best known as a member of the South Korean boy band ZE:A. Additionally, Yim has appeared in films likeThe Attorney (2013), One Line (2017), The Merciless (2017), and Emergency Declaration (2021), plus the TV series Embracing the Sun (2012) and Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014). Last year, he starred in the movies Road to Boston and Unlocked.

Kang Ha-neul

Kang Ha-neul is known for the films Twenty (2015), Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet (2016), Forgotten (2017), and Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (2022). His notable TV series include Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016) and When the Camellia Blooms (2019).

Park Gyu-young

Park Gyu-young has appeared in the film Wretches (2018) as well as TV shows like It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020), The Devil Judge (2021) and A Good Day to Be a Dog (2023). Prior to Squid Game, she was best known for her role as Yoon Ji-su in the Netflix series Sweet Home and Celebrity.

Park Sung-hoon

Park Sung-hoon is known for his TV roles in Private Lives (2020) and Strangers (2023). Additionally, he appeared in the 2022 film The Distributors.

Jo Yu-ri

Jo Yu-ri is a singer and actor best known as a former member of the South Korean-Japanese girl group Iz*One. Squid Game is her first acting gig, aside from a 2022 appearance in the miniseries Mimicus.

Yang Dong-geun

Yang Dong-guen is a veteran actor, rapper, and dancer who made his acting debut in 1986. He is known for the TV series School (1999), Floor (2021), and The Forbidden Marriage (2022–2023).

Kang Ae-sim

Kang Ae-sim is a respected South Korean theater and musical actor. She is best known for her performances in Be Melodramatic (2019) and the Netflix series Move to Heaven (2021). She also appeared in the films Another Way (2015) and Supilreobeu (2021) as well as the TV show Tell Me What You Saw (2020).

Lee David

Lee David is most recognizable for his supporting role in Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s film The Fortress (2017). He previously worked with costar Lee Jung-jae in the film Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019). Additionally, Lee is known for the films War of the Arrows (2011) and The Terror Live (2013) and the TV series Itaewon Class (2020).

Lee Jin-uk

Lee Jin-uk starred alongside his Squid Game costar Park Gyu-young in Netflix’s Sweet Home. The actor previously appeared in one of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s most popular movies, Miss Granny (2014).

He is also known for other television series, including Nine: Nine Time Travels (2013), The Three Musketeers (2014), The Time We Were Not in Love (2015), and Netflix’s Doona (2023).

Choi Seung-hyun

Choi Seung-hyun, also known by his stage name T.O.P., is a singer in the rap group Big Bang. He’s also starred in various Korean films and TV series such as Ailiseu (2009), 71: Into the Fire (2010), Commitment (2013), and Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014).

Roh Jae-won

Roh Jae-won made his acting debut in 2021. He’s since appeared in the 2022 films Missing Yoon and Ditto.

Won Ji-an

Won Ji-an made a sizable debut on the Netflix series D.P. (2021), followed by TV shows like If You Wish Upon Me (2022), Juvenile Delinquency (2022), and Heartbeat (2023). She also starred in the film A Year-End Medley (2021).

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• Attention all players: The Squid Game reality show is actually good