The creator of “Squid Game” has responded to backlash over his decision to cast a cisgender actor to play a transgender character on Season 2 of the hit show.
Hwang Dong-hyuk spoke about the criticism in a new interview with TV Guide, published on Tuesday.
The character at the center of the controversy — a transgender woman named Hyun-ju — is a new addition to “Squid Game,” who reportedly partakes in the deadly competition because she is “short on money for her gender-affirming surgery.”
Dong-hyuk, who also directs the Korean language series, told TV Guide that he could not find a transgender female actor to play Hyun-ju. Ultimately, he hired Park Sung-hoon, a cisgender man, to play the part.
The maelstrom that ensued did not surprise Dong-hyuk.
“I did anticipate such discussions to arise from the first moment I began creating the character Hyun-ju,” he said. “In the beginning we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor.”
However, the “Squid Game” creator could not find a Korean trans actor to take on the role.
“When we researched in Korea, there are close to no actors that are openly trans, let alone openly gay, because unfortunately in the Korean society currently the LGBTQ community is rather still marginalized and more neglected, which is heartbreaking,” Dong-hyuk shared.
Discrimination against LGBTQ people in South Korea is common. Same-sex marriage is not legal in the country. It was only in July that same-sex couples were allowed to have the same health insurance benefits as heterosexual couples following a ruling from South Korea’s Supreme Court.
“It was near impossible to find someone who we could cast authentically,” he added. “And that led us to the decision to cast Sung-hoon.”
Sung-hoon was on Dong-hyuk’s radar prior to casting “Squid Game” Season 2.
“I have watched his work ever since his debut, and I had complete trust in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent in portraying this character,” the director told TV Guide.
Sung-hoon’s recent credits include the Korean hits “The Glory” and “Queen of Tears.”
Only a small number of Korean dramas have included transgender roles. The Netflix series “Itaewon Class,” which follows an ex-con and his friends as they fight to make their ambitious dreams for their street bar a reality, was praised following its release in 2020 for featuring a transgender female character, Ma Hyun-yi.
The part, however, was played by a cisgender woman, actor Lee Joo-young.
Season 2 of “Squid Game” premieres Dec. 26 on Netflix.
