“Player 120 deserved better” — Squid Game 3 viewers disappointed over Cho Hyun-ju’s early death

In Squid Game season 3 episode 2, released on June 27, 2025, Player 120 (named Hyun-ju) was killed during a high-risk round based on hide-and-seek. The game divided contenders into two sides.

Those in red vests had to find and take down at least one blue-vested player within 30 minutes. If they failed, they were eliminated by the masked guards. Wearing red, Hyun-ju opted to safeguard two fellow participants, Geum-ja and Jun-hee, with her baby.

She discovered an exit route and initially stepped away from the danger zone. However, instead of escaping alone, she turned back to assist the two. As she returned toward the doorway, Hyun-ju was stabbed from behind. The assailant was identified as Contestant 333, named Lee Myung-gi (Im Si-wan).

This marked the conclusion of her time in the contest. It happened during one of the first knockout games of the season, leading to online responses from fans who pointed out her quick departure from Squid Game. One fan tweeted:

"NAAA Player 120 deserved better. #SquidGameSeason3."

movietalkwithbrock

@movietalkwithb

LINK

NAAA Player 120 deserved better. #SquidGameSeason3

Many took to social media to express their disbelief, saying she "deserved better."

"WE FCKING LOST THE QUEEN!!! IN A FREAKING PRIDE MONTH? Hyunju deserves better. I fcking hate ya'll. Istg, SHE SHOULD'VE SURVIVED How I should continue this?????” a fan remarked.

"Hyun ju f*cking died!?!? IM F*CKING CRYING NO IM NOT GONNA WATCH THIS SH*T ANYMORE SHE DESERVED BETTER,” a user mentioned.

"She died held and caressed gently by the mother figure she gained in the game, along with the woman who she could’ve been friends with and an aunt to her child.. i’m sobbing, you deserve so much better than this, hyunju </3," a person shared.

Others feel that her early death was "pointless."

"Like genuinely what was the point in hyunju dying . Like at all. So early on too and it wasn’t even like a crazy death either,she fully didn’t deserve to die like that after all she’s done and it seemed lazy," a netizen said.

"Hyunju's death was so stupid and rediclus and pointless..like...what the hell was that? She was important character and that's it?" another fan added.

"Exactly??? hyunju's death was so unnecessary like she was the one who deserved to reach the finals the most, and somehow these random a*s NPCs survived till the end and she didn't???," a viewer noted.

---

Park Sung-hoon appreciates his Squid Game character's "selflessness"

In Squid Game, Hyun-ju joins the contest hoping to win the grand prize to finance gender-affirming surgery and settle in Thailand. However, her game ends in the second episode after she is fatally attacked while saving others. Park Sung-hoon, the actor who plays her, praised how Hyun-ju was “so considerate of others,” adding (per Netflix Tudum),

“She was kind, which is what I was initially most drawn to. I feel very proud to see how many people root for her.”

While filming the Netflix hit, Park was also working on Queen of Tears. The actor admitted that the schedules overlapped, yet he feels "extremely privileged and blessed."

---

Squid Game season 3 is currently available to stream on Netflix.