“Squid Game” Director Hwang Dong-hyuk Shares 'Fun Things' Fans Can Look Out For During Season 1 Rewatch (Exclusive)

The highly anticipated second season premieres on Netflix on Dec. 26

Amy Sussman/WireImage; Noh Juhan/Netflix Hwang Dong-hyuk and 'Squid Game' season 1 still

Amy Sussman/WireImage; Noh Juhan/Netflix

Hwang Dong-hyuk and 'Squid Game' season 1 still

With Squid Game season 2 just around the corner, director Hwang Dong-hyuk is sharing the little details fans should look out for in their season 1 rewatch.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, Hwang reveals fans will see familiar faces and places as he teases what viewers can expect in the next installment of the Emmy award-winning drama.

"There are characters that appear in season one that make yet another appearance in season two, so it'd be really fun to check them out," he explains. "You'll be surprised to see them again in the second season, [Park] Jung-bae [Lee Seo-hwan] being the biggest role of that case."

Noh Juhan/Netflix Lee Jung-jae in 'Squid Game' season 1
Noh Juhan/Netflix Lee Jung-jae in 'Squid Game' season 1

Related: Squid Game Season 2: All About the Highly-Anticipated Korean Thriller's Next Installment

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In season 1, viewers were introduced to Park, protagonist Seong Gi-hun's [Lee Jung-jae] longtime friend who refuses to lend him more money for his gambling debts. Hwang also says other recurring characters will include the loan shark [Kim Pub-lae] Gi-hun borrows from and the North Korean defectee broker who Sae-byeok [Jung Ho-yeon] seeks out in search of her mother.

"So that's going to be a fun thing to look out for," Hwang teases.

As avid viewers prepare to binge the highly anticipated second season, the director also points out the "biggest differences" between installments one and two.

"In season one, it was a rather linear telling of a narrative of the story of Gi-hun who takes part in Squid Game and his story about how does he survive, what does he go through, and what does he experience?"

Related: Squid Game Creator Says He Lost '8 or 9' Teeth from 'Stress' of First Season but Season 2 Is Even More Taxing

No Ju-han/Netflix Lee Jung-jae in 'Squid Game' season 2

No Ju-han/Netflix

Lee Jung-jae in 'Squid Game' season 2

"Whereas in season 2, you now meet a Gi-hun who is extremely purpose-driven, who still has hope that there is hope in humanity and hope left in the world and the head-to-head clash between this Gi-hun and the Front Man who will do everything to break Gi-hun's beliefs and trust."

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Squid Game's first season followed Gi-hun as he sought to win the high-stakes competition filled with deadly versions of children's games. Out of 456 contestants that started in the competition, Seong was the last one left standing.

After making plans to put the harrowing events of the games behind him and meet his daughter in America, Seong rearranges his plans when he encounters a representative from the games at a train station. Instead, he decides to go after the Front Man and the people behind the games to put an end to them for good.

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Squid Game season 2 premieres on Netflix on Dec. 26.

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