Who is your favourite Squid Game girl? Kang Sae-byeok vs Kim Jun-hee
Kang Sae-byeok and Kim Jun-hee are some of the most memorable Squid Game girls since the series debuted in 2021. They both bring unique backgrounds and powerful storylines to the critically acclaimed Netflix thriller.
Source: Twitter
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Squid Game 1 and 2 introduced viewers to many great characters with a cult following. Fans will learn the fate of some of their favourite stars in Squid Game 3, the final season.
Spoiler disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Squid Game Seasons 1 and 2. It discusses key character backgrounds, plot details, and the cliffhanger ending of Season 2. If you have not watched the series yet and wish to avoid spoilers, proceed with caution or come back after catching up.
Your favourite Squid Game girl
Squid Game on Netflix produced several breakout stars who delivered memorable performances. In the first season, viewers got to see Kang Sae-byeok (Player 067), and in the second season, the standout female star was Kim Jun-Hee (Player 222). Here is all you need to know about them:
Kang Sae-byeok – Player 067 in Squid Game 1
Source: Twitter
- Real name: Ho-yeon Jung
- Date of birth: June 23, 1994
- Age: 30 years as of January 2025
- Height: 5 feet 9.5 inches (1.76 m/176 cm)
- Place of birth: Myeonmok-dong, Seoul, South Korea
- Education: Dongduk Women's University College of Performing Arts (modelling)
- Social media: Instagram
Sae-byeok is a North Korean defector who participates in the deadly games with the hope of winning enough money to reunite her family. She fled with her younger brother, leading to her father's death and her mother's capture.
After struggling to get by as a pickpocket in South Korea, Sae-byeok joins the risky games to rescue her brother from an orphanage and bring her mother to the South. Ho-yeon Jung's role as Player 067 was her first acting role.
Ho-yeon's portrayal of the complex Squid Game character made her the show's breakout star. The role earned her a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. She also got a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
In 2024, the actress made a cameo in Chicken Nugget and played Jisoo in the Disclaimer miniseries. Ho-yeon will appear in the upcoming sci-fi thriller film Hope as Seong-ae.
Source: Getty Images
Ho-yeon Jung is a top model
Ho-yeon started her modelling career in 2010 when she was 16. She initially worked as a freelance model and walked in Seoul Fashion Week shows for two years.
The model gained recognition when she competed in the fourth season of Korea's Next Top Model in 2013, where she finished as a runner-up. She has since walked on major runways, including the New York Fashion, with her signature red hair.
Ho-yeon became a Louis Vuitton exclusive in 2016 and was named their global ambassador in 2021. She has also worked with top designers like Roberto Cavalli and Jeremy Scott and graced the covers of major international magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper's BAZAAR, W, and V.
Ho-yeon made the switch to acting when she started getting less modelling work. In a January 2022 interview with Vogue, she recalled the moment she switched from her Korean modelling agency to an acting agency in January 2020.
When I started modeling overseas, I did well from the get-go – But as time went on, I had fewer and fewer jobs; the brands I had been working with didn't want me anymore. I had so many worries because of it... What's important in life is not when your career is up but when your career is down and how you spend that time. That's something I learned.
Kim Jun-Hee – Player 222 in Squid Game 2
Source: Instagram
- Real name: Jo Yu-ri
- Date of birth: October 22, 2001
- Age: 23 years old as of January 2025
- Height: 5 feet 3 inches (1.62 m/162 cm)
- Place of birth: Munhyeon-dong, Nam, Busan, South Korea
- Social media: Instagram
Kim Jun-Hee enters the deadly Squid Games while pregnant and nearing her due date. She joined to win money to improve her child's future after facing financial ruin due to a cryptocurrency scam.
Jun-Hee's estranged lover and father of her child, Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan), is also in the game as Player 333. Myung-gi is a former cryptocurrency influencer who lost ₩15.2 billion after promoting a crypto coin that turned out to be a scam.
Myung-gi tries to win Jun-Hee back, but she is hesitant to take him back due to his past actions. Since Season 2 ended on a cliffhanger, Jun-Hee's fate will be known in the series finale in Squid Game 3 (2025).
Jo Yu-ri made her acting debut in 2022 in the teen drama Mimicus as Oh Ro-si before she landed the role of Si-eun in Work Later, Drink Now. Portraying Player 222 in Squid Game 2 is her breakout role.
Source: Getty Images
Jo Yu-ri is a K-pop star
Jo Yu-ri joined the K-pop girl band IzOne in October 2018 after finishing third on Mnet's reality competition series Produce 48. She embarked on a solo career in April 2021 after IzOne was disbanded upon the expiration of their contract.
The singer released her debut single album, Glassy, in 2021, which earned several Rookie of the Year nominations at major Asian music awards. Her first EP, Op.22 Y-Waltz: in Major, came out in June 2022 with the lead single, Love Shhh!
Source: UGC
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the girls in Squid Game:
Who is the pregnant girl in Squid Game 2?
The pregnant girl is Kim Jun-Hee, portrayed by K-pop singer and actress Jo Yu-ri. She enters the games as Player 222 with the hope of providing a better future for her unborn child.
Who is the 067 girl in Squid Game?
Player 067 in the first season of Squid Game is Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector who enters the game to win money and reunite her family. Model and actress Ho-yeon Jung portrays the character.
Does the pregnant girl die in Squid Game?
Kim Jun-Hee's fate in Squid Game 2 is unknown since the season ends on a cliffhanger. Viewers will know what happened to Player 222 in the third season.
Who is the girl in Squid Game 2?
Notable girls in Squid Game season 2 include:
- Kim Jun-Hee (Player 222)
- Se-Mi (Player 380): Portrayed by actress Won Ji-an
- Kang No-eul (Masked guard): Portrayed by actress Park Gyu-young
- Chu Hyun-ju (Player 120): A transgender woman and former special forces soldier. Actor Park Sung-hoon portrays the character
Source: Twitter
Picking your favourite Squid Game girl comes down to a personal decision. Both characters are pivotal and make the thriller series worth watching.
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Source: Briefly News
