Lee Jung-Jae Promises ‘More Surprises’ In ‘Squid Game’ Season 2

Lee Jung-jae is raising the stakes for “Squid Game” fans eagerly awaiting the show’s second season.

The Emmy-winning actor, who captivated audiences as Seong Gi-hun in the record-breaking Netflix series, recently teased that “Squid Game” Season 2 will deliver even more surprises than the first.

With its shocking twists, high-stakes drama, and cultural impact, the first season of “Squid Game” set a high bar, but according to Lee Jung-jae, the upcoming episodes are set to outdo themselves with unexpected moments that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.

At the show’s Los Angeles premiere on December 12, Lee Jung-jae shared with PEOPLE Magazine that fans have plenty to look forward to in the highly anticipated second season. Reflecting on his favorite part of filming, Lee Jung-jae revealed that “the new games” are what excite him the most.

“So I can tell you for sure that you’re in for even more surprises, because there are games within games, and I call them psychological warfare,” he told the outlet. “We have so much of them in season 1. So at one time, you’ll be enemies, the two will be enemies, and then the other time, they will be friends. So you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Lee added, “There’s so many twists and turns, so you’re in for a big surprise.

Building on the unprecedented success of the first season, which became Netflix’s “biggest series launch ever,” Lee Jung-jae expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming fan support surrounding the release of Season 2.

“I want to say that I know that lots of fans are rooting for us,” he said. “They love us, and what I really feel special about ‘Squid Game’ is that I not only have Korean fans now, but people all across the globe noticed me and they love me. So I really like that.”

“Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk spent nearly a decade crafting the story that would become the first season of Netflix’s record-breaking drama. However, after the series exploded into a global sensation, fans and Netflix eagerly called for more, pushing Hwang to develop two additional seasons in a fraction of the time it took to create the original.

The Season 2 trailer teases the return of Gi-hun, stepping back into the deadly competition armed with his hard-earned knowledge, determined to help others navigate the life-or-death challenges. Despite his warnings about the dangers ahead, a new group of contestants is ready to gamble everything for the chance to win billions in the “Squid Game.”

Within weeks of its debut, “Squid Game” became Netflix’s most-watched series, breaking records as the first Korean and foreign-language show to earn a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nomination. Riding the wave of its massive success, Netflix introduced a reality competition series based on the hit drama, which premiered in November 2023.

Now, the franchise is gearing up for the highly anticipated release of its second season.

“Because I created Season 1 without much thought about doing the second season, when it was decided that we would do Season 2, the pressure was indeed immense,” director Hwang told IndieWire. “I was thinking to myself: will I really be able to pull this off? Will I be able to create or write something that would exceed Season 1?”

“But once I got to writing, and once I got into the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae) returning to the games with his own motives, it actually went a lot better than I thought it would,” he continued. “I was able to create a story that I felt was more intriguing, come up with more interesting characters, and come up with more original and intriguing games as well.”

The second season will follow Lee Jung-jae’s character, Seong Gi-hun, as he returns to the deadly competition.

“Three years after winning ‘Squid Game,’ Player 456 gave up going to the States and comes back with a new resolution in his mind,” Netflix said of the second season. “Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.”

“Squid Game” Season 2 is set to premiere on Netflix on December 26, 2024.