The producer of “Squid Game” has reacted to his decision to cast a cisgender actor to play a transgender character Season 2 of the hit show.
Hwang Dong-hyuk spoke Criticism In a new interview with TV GuidePublished on Tuesday.
The character at the center of the controversy – a transgender woman named Hyun-joo – is a new addition to the “Squid Game” who reportedly participates in the deadly competition because she lacks the money for 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 the role of Hyun-joo. Ultimately, they hired a cisgender man, Park Sung-hoon, to play the role.
The whirlwind that followed didn’t surprise Dong-hyuk.
He said, “Ever since I started creating the character of Hyun-joo, I expected that such discussions would arise.” “In the beginning we were doing our research, and I was thinking about authentically casting a trans actor.”
However, “Squid Game” producers could not find any Korean trans actor for the role.
Dong-hyuk shared, “When we did research in Korea, there were almost no actors who were openly trans, let alone openly gay, because unfortunately Korean society currently The LGBTQ community is still marginalized and more neglected, which is heartbreaking.” ,
Discrimination against LGBTQ people is common in South Korea. Gay marriage is not legal in the country. Same-sex couples were allowed to receive the same health insurance benefits as heterosexual couples following a South Korean Supreme Court ruling in July.
He said, “It was almost impossible to find someone we could cast authentically.” “And that led us to the decision to cast Sung-hoon.”
Sung-hoon was on Dong-hyuk’s radar before the casting of “Squid Game” season 2.
The director told TV Guide, “I have watched his work since his debut and I had full confidence in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent to play this character.”
Sung-hoon’s recent credits include the Korean hits “The Glory” and “Queen of Tears”.
Only a few 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, is set to feature a transgender female character, Ma Hyun-yi. It was praised after its release in 2020. ,
However, the role was played by a cisgender woman, actor Lee Ju-young.
Season 2 of “Squid Game” will premiere on Netflix on December 26.
