"Unraveling 'Squid Game' Season 2: 14 Undiscovered Details You possibly Overlooked"
Netflix has at last released the much-anticipated second installment of Squid Game, its most popular series to date, and the thrill is undeniably present! With its gripping plotline, distinctive costumes and vibrant candy-hued set design, and captivating performances from both new and returning actors, the series climbed to the top spot in the U.S. on Netflix's daily ranking of the top 10 TV shows.
Lee Jung-jae resumes his role as Seong Gi-hun, the lone survivor of the past Squid Game, who decides to return to the lethal competition once again with the intention of putting an end to it forever. Lee Byung-hun and Wi Ha-jun reprise their roles as the Front Man/Hwang In-ho and Hwang Jun-ho respectively, while Gong Yoo steals the show in the first episode with his chilling portrayal as the recruiter (oddly enough, who would've thought Gong Yoo could be so menacing?!). They're joined by other newcomers, including some of South Korea's most renowned actors and even K-pop stars, such as Yim Si-wan, Park Sung-hoon, Lee Jin-uk, Park Gyu-young, Kang Ha-neul, Park Hee-soon, Jo Yuri, T.O.P. and more.
Fortunately, the script is generally straightforward, and the show's English subtitles are clear enough that most scenes don't necessitate additional context. Nonetheless, a few unclear moments may have left a few viewers scratching their heads in the first five episodes.
Let's examine some of those unclear moments, along with explanations for certain Korean cultural references and subtleties that may be unfamiliar to many viewers (assuming the viewer has watched the show in its original Korean audio with English subtitles).
Warning: Major spoilers ahead!
Episode 1: Bread and Lottery
- Seasoned K-drama viewers might recognize this scene: When police officer Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) stops a scooter, the female passenger initially addresses him as ajusshi (아저씨), a Korean term typically used for middle-aged men, and requests him to overlook it.
When Jun-ho refuses, she immediately tries to flatter him by complimenting his appearance and referring to him as oppa (오빠), a term used by Korean women to address an older brother or romantic partner who is slightly older than them. Since the 1990s, many Korean women have also used it as a term of endearment for male friends older than them.
Oppa usually implies that the man is only slightly older than the woman and has a connotation of closeness/familiarity, while the term ajusshi doesn't have this meaning in this case. The Dramabeans site offers an excellent explanation of the meaning of oppa, which is frequently heard in K-dramas.
Episode 2: Halloween Party
- It's worth mentioning that the North Korean dealer communicates in a North Korean accent, but No-eul (Park Gyu-young), a North Korean defector who was a soldier in her home country, doesn’t. (Note that Sae-byeok from Season 1 also didn't adopt a North Korean accent except when speaking to her brother. Many North Korean defectors in South Korea deliberately conceal their accent to blend in and avoid potential discrimination.)
Episode 3: 001
- Player 044 (portrayed by Chae Gook-hee) is a Korean shaman (often referred to as a mudang “무당” in Korean, though the term also has derogatory connotations) who offers to perform a ritual (called a gut “굿”) for Gi-hun. Korean shamanism is an age-old spiritual tradition that has existed in Korea for centuries, and while very few Koreans practice it today, many view shamans as fortune-tellers and may still consult one for serious health issues or difficult personal or professional problems. Korean shamans, the majority of whom are women, perform a gut ceremony to communicate with spirits, often to ask for their assistance.
- It's unsurprising that a character like Myung-gi (played by Yim Si-wan of Run On and Misaeng: Incomplete Life) would be included in this show, as cryptocurrency scams are an extensive issue in South Korea, involving even popular YouTubers promoting these scams. Just last month, South Korean police arrested 215 individuals in connection with the largest crypto scam in Korean history.
- It's a bit ironic that Thanos (the retired rapper with purple hair) is portrayed by none other than T.O.P, who shares some similarities with his character. T.O.P (real name Choi Seung-hyun) was a former member and rapper of the iconic K-pop boy band BIGBANG. In 2017 he was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence with two years probation for smoking marijuana multiple times (drug abuse of any kind in South Korea comes with severe consequences). Due to the public backlash he faced after his marijuana scandal, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry but later reversed his decision by participating in Season 2 of Squid Game. His appearance in the series caught many Koreans off guard and sparked considerable controversy in South Korea.
- University of Toronto professor Michelle Cho discussed on the CBC podcast "Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud" that Hyun-ju, a character portrayed by Park Sung-hoon in shows like "The Glory" and "Queen of Tears", who is revealed to be a former soldier, might be inspired by the real-life Korean transgender soldier and activist Byun Hee-soo. Sadly, Byun passed away under suspected suicide circumstances in 2021.
The choice to cast Park, a cisgender man, as a transgender woman stirred criticism from several international fans. According to "Squid Game" writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk, he and his team aimed to cast a transgender actor but encountered difficulties. "There were hardly any openly trans or gay actors due to the ongoing discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in South Korea," Hwang stated to TV Guide.
Episode 4: Six Legs
- Players entering the massive indoor track for the "Six-Legged Pentathlon" are welcomed by the inscription "힘차게 씩씩하게 굳세게," which translates roughly to mean "with vigor, forcefully, firmly." These words were historically used in South Korean schools to encourage sports participants, however, their tone takes a darker turn in this context.
- Traditionally, ddakji (딱지) was primarily played by boys, while gonggi (공기) was considered a girl's game. This fact adds an amusing twist when Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul) claims he can play gonggi, whereas Jun-hee (Jo Yuri) mentions she hasn't played the game before but excels at ddakji.
Episode 5: One More Game
- The music playing in the background as Gi-hun's team undertakes the "Six-Legged Pentathlon" is "To You (그대에게)," a popular, timeless South Korean song since the 1980s. Written, composed, and performed by the renowned Korean musician Shin Hae-chul, "To You" was the debut track of Shin's college band Infinite Track, which eventualy won the grand prize at the 1988 MBC Campus Song Festival.
Shin proceeded to establish the rock band N.EX.T and enjoy a successful solo career, earning the nicknames "The Devil" or "Demon Lord" due to his electrifying performances and socially incisive lyrics. Tragically, Shin passed away in 2014 as a result of medical malpractice.
"To You" remains Shin's most iconic song and is commonly used to cheer on teams during school festivals and sports events, making it an ideal soundtrack for this scene.
- Thanos directs Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won) to address Se-mi as "noona," a term used by men to address an older sister or female friend. However, the term can also be used to address an older woman (but not significantly older) who is not a family member.
- "Unnie" or "unni" (언니) is how a Korean woman refers to an older sister or an older female friend. In this clip, Hyun-ju looks a bit surprised and touched when Young-mi (Kim Si-eun) calls her "unnie," thus acknowledging her gender identity.
- In a scene involving two pink-uniformed guards threatening No-eul, they utter the phrase 남남북녀 (pronounced as "nahm-nahm buk-nyuh"), which translates to "south-man-north-woman." This phrase, with origins olden than the division of Korea, generally conveys the notion that men from the southern part of the peninsula are regarded as more handsome and successful, while women from the northern part are considered more naturally beautiful.
Moreover, because most North Korean defectors who settle in South Korea are women, matchmaking agencies have emerged to facilitate unions between South Korean men and North Korean women. The sign in the agency's office, for example, reads "South Korean man and North Korean woman marriage."
- The leading actor, Lee Byung-hun, takes on the role of The Front Man, adopting the alias Player 001 and "Young-il" as his pseudonym. The name "Young-il" holds an interesting twist, with "young" being similar to the Korean word for "zero," and "il" resembling "one," aligning with his player number.
Gi-hun's surname, "Seong," shares the same pronunciation and spelling with the Korean term for "surname" in the language. Young-il humorously points out this coincidence, but his joke falls flat among his fellow group members.
- Allow me to share that the song "둥글게 둥글게" ("Round and round") - the background music during the final game, Mingle - is a beloved classic Korean children's song that I would often listen to on a cassette during my childhood. My mom would play it for me to help me learn Korean, and the song would evoke images of cheerful Korean kids dancing, clapping, and singing along with pure joy on their faces. However, from now on, whenever I hear this song, all I'll be able to associate with it is grown adults facing gruesome deaths. (Thank you, Director Hwang, for ruining this song for me lol...)
Squid Game Season 2 is now available on Netflix.
Update: This article, initially published at 3:07 p.m. EST, was corrected at 9:33 p.m. EST concerning T.O.P's prison sentence. Contrary to the previous statement, T.O.P received a suspended 10-month jail term with a two-year probationary period.
The article was further updated at 11:32 p.m. EST to feature a video clip showcasing Shin Hae-chul's illustrious music career.
- If you're looking for fun facts about "Squid Game," the Netflix Korean drama that has taken the world by storm, you might be interested to know that several K-pop stars, including T.O.P, joined the cast for the second season.
- To fully appreciate "Squid Game 2," it may be helpful to understand some of the cultural references and subtleties present in the series, such as the use of the Korean terms "ajusshi" and "oppa" in Episode 1.
- If you're a fan of "Squid Game" and looking for a deeper dive into the series, be sure to check out the episode breakdowns and trivia available online. There are even resources available to help explain the Korean cultural references and subtleties found in the show.
- If you're having trouble keeping up with "Squid Game 2" and want a breakdown of the season 2 episodes, there are plenty of explainer videos and articles available to help clarify any confusing moments.
- Fans of "Squid Game" are eagerly awaiting the release of "Squid Game 3," but until then, there's plenty of content to keep fans entertained, including the trivia and behind-the-scenes information available about the series. And who knows, maybe your favorite K-pop star will make a cameo in the next season!
