Honestly, if you watched The Glory or Queen of Tears, you probably spent most of that time wanting to throw something at your TV. Park Sung-hoon has that effect. He plays the "arrogant villain" so well that it’s almost jarring to see him in a tracksuit. But when the news dropped about Park Sung-hoon in Squid Game Season 2, the internet didn't just buzz; it basically imploded.
He isn't just another player. He’s Player 120.
The Role That Sparked a Thousand Debates
Let’s get the facts straight. Park Sung-hoon plays Cho Hyun-ju, a former special forces soldier. That sounds like a standard Squid Game archetype—tough, capable, maybe a bit stoic. But here is the kicker: Hyun-ju is a transgender woman. She enters the game for one specific, heartbreaking reason. She needs the prize money for gender-affirming surgery.
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It’s a massive pivot for an actor who basically became the face of K-drama "rich-guy" villainy.
Naturally, the casting caused a storm. You’ve got one side of the internet praising the representation of a marginalized group in a global blockbuster. Then you’ve got the other side—mostly on platforms like X—asking why a cisgender man was cast to play a trans woman. It’s a messy, complicated conversation. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk apparently looked for a trans actress within the Korean industry but eventually felt Park was the right fit because of a "hidden feminine side" he saw in the actor's previous work.
Breaking Down Player 120
In Season 2, which hit Netflix on December 26, 2024, we see a totally different side of Park’s range. Forget the flashy suits. As Hyun-ju, he sports a bob with short bangs—an aesthetic choice Park actually suggested himself.
He’s not playing a caricature. That was his biggest fear.
During interviews, Park mentioned he was terrified of overdoing it. He didn’t want to "act" trans by using a high-pitched voice or exaggerated gestures. He kept his deep natural voice. Why? Because he felt that forcing a "female" voice would kill the emotional truth of the character. It’s a subtle performance. Hyun-ju is a natural leader, likely thanks to her special forces background, and she ends up becoming a bit of a moral compass for the group.
- The Motivation: Total desperation. Unlike Gi-hun, who is fueled by revenge in Season 2, Hyun-ju is there for a singular personal goal.
- The Dynamics: One of the best parts of the season is her bond with Player 149 (the elderly Geum-ja). It starts with prejudice and ends with one of the most emotional arcs in the series.
- The Paradox: She is a soldier who is also deeply compassionate. It’s a weird mix that somehow works.
Why This Casting Matters (and Why It’s Complicated)
South Korea is still a pretty conservative place. Laws protecting the LGBTQ+ community are sparse. So, putting a trans character front and center in their biggest cultural export is a huge move. But the "cis-man-playing-trans-woman" trope is something Hollywood has been trying to move away from for years.
Critics argue it reinforces the idea that trans women are just "men in wigs." On the flip side, some fans argue that in the current Korean climate, a trans actress might have faced career-ending vitriol just for taking the role. Park himself admitted he had major reservations. He spent a lot of time consulting with people in the trans community to make sure he didn't lean into stereotypes.
The Controversy You Might Have Missed
It hasn't all been praise and deep character studies, though. Around the time the show aired, Park got caught up in a weird social media scandal. He allegedly shared a "parody" of Squid Game on his Instagram story that was... let’s just say, highly inappropriate and featured sexual violence.
It was a total "what are you doing?" moment.
He apologized, and some fans think it was a clumsy attempt to distance himself from the "feminine" role of Hyun-ju in real life. Others just think it was a massive lapse in judgment. Either way, it cast a temporary shadow over what was otherwise a career-defining performance.
What’s Next for Park Sung-hoon?
If you survived the rollercoaster of Season 2, you know things didn't exactly wrap up in a neat bow. The good news? Park Sung-hoon in Squid Game isn't a one-and-done deal. He’s confirmed to return for Season 3 in 2025.
His character, Hyun-ju, has moved from being a "new face" to a fan favorite. People are actually calling him "Hyun-ju" on the street now instead of "Jeon Jae-jun" (his bully character from The Glory). That's a win in the acting world.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into his filmography before the final season drops, check out:
- The Glory – If you want to see him at his most despicable.
- Psychopath Diary – To see his range in a dark comedy.
- Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum – A horror flick that shows he can handle high-intensity sets.
The takeaway here is pretty simple. Park Sung-hoon took a massive risk with Player 120. Whether you agree with the casting or not, the character has forced a global conversation about identity and survival that Squid Game does better than almost any other show on TV.
To keep up with the latest on Season 3 and Park's future projects, make sure your Netflix notifications are actually turned on for once. You can also follow the official K-content channels for behind-the-scenes clips of the cast—just be prepared for more spoilers than you can handle.