Viewers slam ‘Squid Game’ for casting transgender characters
The highly anticipated second season of Netflix’s South Korean dystopian drama is receiving criticism for not casting transgender characters.
Following the premiere of the second season of Netflix’s hit series “Squid Game,” many viewers are criticizing the South Korean show for casting a straight male character as a transgender contestant in the deadly game.
The new season, which premiered on Thursday, stars actor Park Sung-hoon, known for his villainous roles in TV series “The Glory” and “Queen of Tears,” as Hyun-ju, a contestant who enters the high-stakes game in the hopes of using her winnings to pay for her gender-affirming surgery.
While some viewers speculated that the storyline could help bring attention to the transgender community — which is marginalized in Korean society and underrepresented in the country’s entertainment industry — others said the series missed the mark without the actor.
“Netflix’s Squid Games 2 didn’t hit the same mark, they hired a straight person to play this character,” one viewer posted on X. “Feels forced instead of organic.”
“Squid Game” creators Hwang Dong-hyuk and Park did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment. Netflix confirmed that the show worked with transgender and LGBTQ consultants while developing the second season, but in an interview with TV Guide, Hwang said it was “nearly impossible” to find a transgender person for the role.
“When we researched in Korea, there were almost no openly transgender stars, let alone openly gay ones,” he told reporters. “Unfortunately, in Korean society today, the LGBTQ community is still marginalized and further marginalized, which is very sad.”
