"Squid Game" Season 2 Stars Lee Jung-Jae And Lee Seo-Hwan Reveal Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Netflix's Global Hit

Netflix's Squid Game Season 1 was one of the biggest hits ever for the streamer. The Korean drama series from Hwang Dong-hyuk pitted those on the lower end of the socio-economic ladder, and deeply in debt, against each other in a twisted win-or-die tournament for a large cash prize.

Lee Jung-jae, who plays Gi-hun in both seasons and is already a very well-established actor in Korea, became a global icon after viewers around the world watched his character win the brutal contest.

Lee Seo-hwan, who plays Jeong-bae, had a small part in Season 1 but becomes a main player in the second season.

So, in celebration of Season 2, Jung-jae and Seo-hwan sat down with me to reflect on behind-the-scenes moments and important themes from Squid Game's second installment.

1.What messages about classism and society in this season do you think are most important for viewers to take away?

Lee Seo-hwan: Being a player in Season 2, I felt that this season is not really about classism, but it's really about the choices that people make. Choice, in and of itself, becomes very important in Season 2 because we have a voting system. And it may look like a democracy from the outset, but there's a lot of psychological warfare going on behind the scenes. And it's not a vertical, hierarchical situation, but it's horizontal. There are a lot of different sides, people taking sides and being in silos, and when you make a choice, you understand that you have to be responsible for your choice. That is the main theme of this season.

Lee Jung-jae: What really stood out for me in Season 2 is that we have to vote for every round, as my friend just said, and the vote becomes as tense as the games themselves. There's so much at stake for the participants, and they want to talk people into siding with them, and if you don't side with me, you become my enemy that I have to kill. There's a lot of tension around that.

2.Do you think that represents the world right now?

Lee Jung-jae: I think it's parallel to the political sphere that we see nowadays. It's so polarized, it's just two sides, and they can't come to a compromise. So it feels like, "Is this the right way to go? Is this how politics should be?" Competing with other people is good, but should we not have so much conflict with people? So those are the questions that Squid Game Season 2 deals with, and I think it could provide a lot of food for thought for the viewers.

3.What's an important difference between Season 2 and Season 1 that creates a different feeling or element?

Lee Seo-hwan: In Season 2, you see less of the VIPs compared to Season 1. I thought about why director Hwang did it that way. When we don't see the VIPs, the entire drama, the Squid Game Show, becomes more like The Truman Show. The Front Man is like the producer of the Truman Squid Game Show, and we are the viewers who are watching from afar.

4.Jung-jae, in Season 1, your character's main motive was making money. But this season, revenge or retribution is his main motive. How do you feel like your character evolved?

Lee Jung-jae: Gi-hun is just an ordinary man. He doesn't have any special abilities. So I question myself, and I think the viewers would question themselves: Can he really bring the people behind the game to justice? Does he have the power? Could he complete his mission of ending the game by creating unity with the participants? Or maybe people would not want to listen to him. They might attack him, and maybe he would be in danger.

5.If you could play any other character in Season 2, who would it be?

Lee Jung-jae: I actually want to try playing Gi-hun again.

6.Why is that?

Lee Jung-jae: I could really relate to Gi-hun, because after witnessing all the atrocities that happened in the game, he just couldn't turn a blind eye to it. And I think I would have done the same.

7.Seo-hwan, what is your favorite scene that you filmed as Jeong-bae?

Lee Seo-hwan: My favorite scene is when I'm talking with Gi-hun about what we did in the past. And I tell him, "Let's grab a soju when we get out of here." That line really tells me that he wants his normal life back, and he knows how precious that life was. We always say this in Korea, "Let's grab a soju." That means, "We'll meet up later," or "I'll see you again." We always say it when we part ways in Korea, but when I was saying the line in the show, it actually brought me to tears. For the first time, Jeong-bae is really noticing that his life is a very precious one, and he wants to return to that life.

8.Why is Jeong-bae's friendship with Gi-hun integral to this season?

Lee Seo-hwan: They used to be coworkers, and they protested together for their rights, but they both got fired. So they're not just friends; they're more like comrades, and I'm an ex-Marine too, in the show. So that bond, that bromance, and that loyalty that I feel with Gi-hun, it's something that's very special. And it might sound cheesy, but I could even give up my life for my friend.

9.What was the hardest scene for both of you to film?

Lee Seo-hwan: The round and round game. The lights would come on and off quickly. There would be sparks of lights. I have really bad eyesight, so that was quite blinding for me, and it was really slippery on the floor with all that blood. That was the most challenging scene for me to shoot.

Lee Jung-jae: I would like to say that all scenes and all cuts were extremely difficult for me [Laughs].

10.And finally, what real-life kid's game are you an expert at, and you feel like you could beat anyone?

Lee Seo-hwan: [Laughs] The Sugar Honeycombs for me.

Lee Jung-jae: Red Light, Green Light!

Make sure to watch Squid Game Season 2, streaming on Netflix now!