“This season’s villain”- The Devil’s Plan 2 viewers slam Kyuhyun’s alleged rude behaviour towards a female contestant

Netflix’s The Devil’s Plan returned with its second season, bringing intense mind games and psychological strategy back into the spotlight. However, a moment from episode 10 has triggered widespread criticism, with Super Junior’s Kyuhyun at the center of the storm. During a conversation with fellow contestant and TV announcer Kang Ji-young, Kyuhyun’s remarks about player Jeong Hyun-gyu’s isolation sparked backlash.

In episode 10 of The Devil’s Plan 2, 7high convinced Kyuhyun and Yoon So-hui to join him and Son Eun-yu and Kang Ji-young in targeting Choi Hyun-joon. But their real plan was to eliminate Jeong Hyun-gyu, and Son Eun-yu secretly informed Choi Hyun-joon. He who initially formed an alliance with Jeong Hyun-gyu, then switched sides mid-game, and helped to isolate him.

Seeing Jeong Hyun-gyu alone, Kyuhyun and Yoon So-hui had a change of heart and decided to support him, going against the larger group. This discussion of Kyuhyun and So-hui switching back their alliances quickly turned tense with the others.

"He only did it to try and save himself. But by doing that, Hyun Gyu had become all by himself. Even if I win, I think I’d be really angry at myself. I just feel like this is not the way I want to do it," Kyuhyun explained to the group.

Kang Ji-yeong in this conversation compared Hyun Gyu’s current standing with that of eliminated contestants like Lee Se-dol and Justin H. Min,

"But I don’t really understand this. It’s been the majority against one the whole time. What about when you got rid of Se Dol (former go player Lee Se Dol)? Didn’t you feel sorry for Justin (US actor Justin H. Min) when he had to play by himself. Why, all of a sudden, are you being so righteous? Pretending to be peaceful," she asked.

And before she could finish, Kyuhyun said,

"But they wanted to play by themselves. Does Hyun Gyu want to play by himself? We made him be by himself."

The clip, widely circulated on social media, quickly surpassed 45,000 views. Viewers of The Devil’s Plan flooded the comments with criticism, accusing Kyuhyun of being dismissive and rude during the exchange.

His tone and his interrupting Kang Ji-young drew strong reactions online. Many expressed sympathy for Kang Ji-young, calling her reasonable in the situation. One viewer wrote on the South Korean social media site,

"Kyuhyun Sohee this season's villain"

A comment on theqoo (Image via theqoo)

Many viewers of The Devil’s Plan 2 praised Ji-young for standing her ground, while others criticized Kyuhyun for his attitude and lack of gameplay.

"Devil's Plan Episode 10 I understand both sides. I can do it, really. But only Kang Ji-young really says the right thing that goes through all of this The last expression says it all.."- said one X user.

"They wanted it so bad lol I really hate it Kyuhyun, who doesn't have any ability, survived for a long time by sticking to Hyungyu Sohee. He should've been eliminated a long time ago so he couldn't even open his mouth,"- wrote a netizen.

"I felt so relieved when Jiyoung said that. It didn't make sense that she didn't fight back after Kyuhyun cut her off. + maybe because she was afraid that a fight would break out,"- posted another netizen.

While many viewers praised Kang Ji-young, others pushed back against the growing criticism toward Kyuhyun. Offering a more critical take, they questioned the perceived moral stance of certain players. They questioned the alleged selective morality shown by Ji-young and the prisoner team. Netizens pointed out inconsistencies in their treatment of past contestants like Lee Se Dol and Justin.

"She forgets to mention that Hyunjoon was after Hyungyu even in that game and only went for Sedol because it was his own neck that was on the line. He also ditched Hyungyu to k!ll him after agreeing to an alliance. I don't understand this moral high ground" said an individual on X.

"Season 1 is much bearable to watch. The dramatics and the self righteousness of other players this season pisses me off. Starting on when Jiyoung or the prison team keep mentioning Sedol and Justin well in fact they are the ones who left them behind" wrote one viewer of The Devil’s Plan.

"> jiyeong wanted to help justin and cry when he got eliminated because they bonds <kyuhyun wants to help hyungyu & sohee crying when ppl against him cuz they're close literally same f**ing case but yall nitpicking narratives and belittle the living area bonds" added an X user.

---

Kyuhyun and Jeong Hyun-gyu respond to backlash following The Devil’s Plan 2 finale

After the conclusion of The Devil’s Plan 2, Kyuhyun faced a wave of backlash on social media, with viewers condemning his presence on the show. The Super Junior member then spoke out about it in a post on a fan community on May 20, 2025.

According to a report of the South Korean media outlet OSEN, he recognized the constraints of what was depicted on-screen. He said that not all of it could be included in the broadcast and conceded he had regrets about how events transpired. He expressed,

"It must have been impossible to include everything in the broadcast ㅠㅠ I also have a lot of regrets, but it can't be helped. I'll share the details later, haha. Please don't be too upset."

Kyuhyun also stressed that The Devil’s Plan 2 cast were good to each other behind the scenes, explaining that they knew each other well.

"And if any grants participants feel this way, We are very close and understand each other well, so please view us nicely~~ Everyone has their own perspective!!"

Meanwhile, Jeong Hyun-gyu, who emerged as the winner of The Devil’s Plan 2, was not spared from online criticism following the show's finale. He received a wave of negative comments from viewers following the broadcast. In light of the backlash, as per OSEN, Hyun-gyu also released a formal apology.

---

All 12 episodes of The Devil’s Plan are available for streaming on Netflix.