"Not a single woman": Squid Game 2 cast line-up receives backlash from fans

On June 17, Netflix's Squid Game 2 unveiled the cast line-up for its upcoming series. The series introduced four new leading actors, including Im Siwan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, and Yang Dong-geun. They also confirmed that Gong Yoo and Wi Ha-joon will be reprising their roles, along with Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun.

As the cast line-up was confirmed by Netflix, K-Drama fans, both international and domestic, had mixed reactions to it. Some were elated to see their favorite actors participating in the drama, while others felt that there was a lack of participation for female actors in the show.

In the first season of Squid Game, which aired in September 2021, the show had versatile budding actresses, including Jung Ho-yeon, Lee Yoo-mi, and others, who made a lot of contributions to making the show a hit.

Fans took to social media to express their disappointment, and eventually the series received a blacklash for not introducing a single female actress. One user tweeted:

Fans are disappointed that Squid Game doesn't introduce any actresses in the first announcement of cast line-up

As Squid Game 2 revealed versatile actors like Gong Yoo, Wi Ha-joon, Im Siwan, Kang Ha-neul, and others for the cast line-up for the upcoming series, fans showed backlash. Others felt Netflix didn't want to introduce any female leads as they would steal the spotlight from the male actors, while others commented that they would soon reveal the female cast line-up.

Fans were also saddened by the fact that they didn't include Jung Ho-yeon in the first announcement for the cast line-up, as she was the reason season one became a major hit in 2021. That's the reason the show is currently receiving backlash from fans on social media.

There are mixed reactions to the first announcement. While some are showcasing backlash, others are optimistic in their belief that they will soon reveal more cast members and that female actors will be there. There will be proper representation of both genders in the show.

Hwang Dong-hyuk's Squid Game revolves around a secretive tournament where 456 people, burdened by severe financial troubles, risk their lives to take part in a series of dangerous games inspired by childhood activities. Their aim is to win the grand prize of ₩45.6 billion, which equals US$35 million, €33 million, or £29 million at the time of the show's release.

Additionally, Squid Game 2, written by director Hwang Dong-hyuk, is currently in production with an astounding budget of $78 million. The filming for the show will commence in July 2023 and last until February 2024.

Squid Game won six Primetime Emmys

On September 17, 2021, Squid Game made its global debut to great acclaim and captured the attention of audiences around the world. The series quickly became a sensation, achieving the title of Netflix's most-watched show and captivating viewers in 94 countries. Within just four weeks, it garnered an impressive audience of over 142 million member households and amassed a staggering 1.65 billion viewing hours, surpassing the previously popular show Bridgerton.

In addition, Squid Game has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards. Notably, O Yeong-su received the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film. The show also earned Lee Jung-jae the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and HoYeon Jung the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. It's worth mentioning that all three actors made history as the first Korean performers to win in their respective categories.

About the author

Kirti holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism & Mass Communication and has been a Kpop writer at SK POP since 2022. She has been following Kpop and Kdramas since the last 6 years and but has worked in the genre only in the last 3-4 years donning several several caps - social media intern, copywriter, article writer and academic writer.

Kirti likes to pen down insightful features based on Korean dramas, especially the 'Ending Explained' categories. It gives her the satisfaction of creating the most authentic content rather than simply replicating what media outlets generally do.

Her process of creating content is time-consuming, yet methodical; she prefers to use original sources of information, which in her case are Korean outlets. She watches entire episodes, writes them down, cross-checks/fact-checks the details/event timelines off the web and eventually creates her copy.

Kirti likes Lee Je-hoon, IU, and Kim Seon-ho since she feels that their dramas are inspiring and have good plotlines. When she is not writing about K-dramas, she can be found watching them.

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"Not a single woman": Squid Game 2 cast line-up receives backlash from fans

Fans are disappointed that Squid Game doesn't introduce any actresses in the first announcement of cast line-up

Squid Game won six Primetime Emmys