Cast members and director Hwang Dong-hyuk (C, 1st row) pose for photos during a press conference in Seoul on June 9, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Hwang Dong-hyuk, creator and director of Netflix’s global hit Squid Game, said the upcoming second and third seasons will conclude the epic saga while shifting focus from delivering a message to raising profound questions about humanity’s future in a capitalist society.
At a press conference held Monday in Seoul, Hwang explained that Squid Game was always intended as a platform to provoke thought. “Rather than sending a message, I wanted to ask questions,” he said. “Can we, as humans, build a better future? Can we pass down a sustainable world to the next generation?”
The final chapters of the series will continue the moral and ideological showdown between Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) and the enigmatic Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), exploring what Hwang calls “a battle of values and belief in humanity.”
According to Hwang, conversations between the two characters in Season 2 will find resolution in the emotionally charged third season.
Season 3 is expected to depict Gi-hun’s emotional resurrection after his failed rebellion in Season 2. “He’s consumed by guilt and despair after losing his closest friend, but the story is about how he finds his way back from that darkness,” Hwang said.
Lee Byung-hun teased that Season 3 would deliver the climax and final resolution of the narrative, calling it “a dramatically intense finale.”
This photo provided by Netflix shows Choi Seung-hyun as Thanos in “Squid Game” Season 2. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
As with previous seasons, traditional Korean childhood games will be reimagined as deadly competitions. Hwang revealed that Season 3 will feature new survival games, including one where players fall from high bridges, and another involving a maze-like space for hide-and-seek or “cops and robbers.” A final, undisclosed game awaits viewers at the end.
The production event also brought together key cast members including Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Wi Ha-jun, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-shim, Jo Yu-ri, Chae Gook-hee, and Noh Jae-won.
Notably, actors Lee Jin-wook and Lee David—whose characters were previously presumed dead or minor—were also in attendance, sparking speculation about their expanded roles in Season 3.
Squid Game Season 2 is set to premiere later this year, with Season 3 expected to follow in early 2026, marking the dramatic conclusion to one of Netflix’s most-watched series of all time.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
