Squid Game is Netflix's hottest new TV series and the first K-drama to reach the top of the charts in the US. As well as the stars of the series, fans have taken particular interest in Player 067 and the actress who plays her. So, here's everything you need to know.
If you're new to the show, here's a quick synopsis: Squid Game is a K-drama series from South Korean writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk. Many are describing it as a Hunger Games/Kill Bill mashup as some 456 people desperately struggling with debt sign up to take part in a tournament which could free them of their financial burdens. That is if they don't die first.
The players are shipped off to a strange prison camp on an island off the coast of South Korea, where they're told they'll be taking part in children's games to be in with the chance of winning a huge cash prize (₩45.6 billion/US$38.5 million). But it's not that simple. The games come with deadly consequences.
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The thrilling new Netflix series stars Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun, the main protagonist, Park Hae-soo as Sang-woo, and Wi Ha-jun as Joon-ho. But Player 067 and the actress who portrays her soon became a fan-favourite.
Who is Player 067 in Squid Game?
Player 067 - aka Kang Sae-byeok - is the tragic hero of the show. She has an interesting backstory as a North Korean defector who's desperately trying to win the money to buy a house and free her mother from North Korea.
During the series, we learn that Kang and her younger brother Cheol grew up in North Korea and lost their father and grandparents while they were still young. They fled North Korea, making the difficult decision to leave behind their mother and Kang, unable to care for her brother as well as herself, was forced to put him in a children's home.
Kang hopes winning the money will help reunite her with her mother and brother under one roof.
Who plays Player 067?
Player 067 is portrayed by South Korean actress HoYeon Jung, who made her acting debut in Squid Game.
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Born on 23rd June 1994 in Seoul, South Korea, Jung is 27-years-old in 2021.
Jung is a fashion model who's worked with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Gucci, to name a few. She came in second on Korea's Next Top Model season four.
According to Seventeen, she was preparing for New York Fashion Week when her agent contacted her and asked her to send over an audition tape for Squid Game.
Determined to get her big break in acting, Jung said: "All I did during that time other than eat was to read the script."
Is HoYeon Jung married?
HoYeon Jung is not married, but she is in a relationship. According to Seventeen, she's been dating fellow actor Lee Dong-hwi since 2016.
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Dong-hwi is known for his role in the TV series Reply 1988 (2015-2016) and for starring in the film Extreme Job (2019), which is the second highest-grossing film in South Korean history.
Squid Game season one is available to stream now on Netflix.Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@hoooooyeonyTopics: TV and Film, Netflix, Squid Game