Lee Jung Jae shares his thoughts on the ending of 'Squid Game 3'

03 Jul 2025, 17:48 by Sophie-Ha · allkpop

Lee Jung Jae opened up about his thoughts on the ending of 'Squid Game 3.'

On July 3, Lee Jung Jae sat down with media outlet Sports Chosun at a café in Jongno-gu, Seoul, for an interview regarding the Netflix original series 'Squid Game 3' (written and directed by Hwang Dong Hyuk). Reflecting on completing Season 3 after a five-year journey that began with Season 1, he said, “The first thing that comes to mind is that it was a tremendous experience. I’m truly grateful for that, and it's undeniable that the series received a lot of love and attention. Now that it’s really over, I wonder if I’ll ever get the chance to talk about 'Squid Game' again. With films, you sometimes see re-release events after five or ten years, but for OTT series, that kind of opportunity rarely exists. It really feels like it’s over now.”

He continued, “Every time I take on a project, I always struggle early on with how to shape the character and what acting choices to make. Out of many possible approaches, figuring out the best one can be exhausting. But as filming progresses, I get used to the character and grow attached. By the time we get to the final scenes, I always wish we could shoot just a bit more. With dramas, I often think, ‘It would be nice if there were four to six more episodes.’ With films, I hope for sequels that let me continue developing the character. I felt the same way about 'Squid Game.' It doesn’t feel refreshing or satisfying; just bittersweet and a little sad that it’s over.”

While some viewers expressed disappointment with the ending, Lee Jung Jae offered a different perspective. He shared, “It was clear the director had a strong vision. When a series is hugely successful, it often keeps going indefinitely. But instead of prolonging it for the sake of success, he chose to prioritize the integrity of the story, which took real courage. It showed me that he cares more about the work itself than money or fame. Initially, I was told it would end with 13 episodes, spanning Season 1 and 2. When I saw that conclusion, I thought, ‘Wow, he truly loves this project and is a real writer, not just someone making entertainment content.’ That impression really stuck with me, and I felt I had to respect that creative decision.”

Lee Jung Jae added, “I remember being told over and over again that 'Squid Game' was meant to be a limited series with no continuation. Even though I hoped there’d be more after Gi Hun’s final turn at the end of Season 1, I was told there wouldn’t be. But because the first season was such a massive hit, I felt we needed to return with Season 2 to thank the fans. When a project becomes this successful, it’s rare for a creator to be able to do exactly what they want. So I made it my mission on set to follow the director’s vision as closely as possible, even if I had ideas of my own. Instead of pushing my thoughts, I asked a lot of questions about what he wanted to do and tried to align with him.”

Commenting further on the ending, Lee Jung Jae said, “I work on both dramas and films, but Director Hwang comes from a film background. And in films, the ending is everything. It needs to heighten the emotions, connect the story, and deliver the message clearly. Film directors naturally place enormous importance on the ending, and I could feel how much he agonized over it. I was surprised by how strong his desire was to wrap up the story on his terms. I didn’t expect that kind of ending.”

'Squid Game 3' follows Gi Hun, who returns to the deadly game with a new purpose but ends up losing his closest friend, the mysterious Front Man hiding in plain sight, and the final fates of the game’s survivors. Released on June 27, the series achieved 60.1 million views (based on total viewing hours divided by runtime) in just three days, topping Netflix’s Global Top 10 and proving its immense popularity worldwide.

In addition, 'Squid Game 3' became the first Netflix series ever to rank #1 in all 93 countries where Netflix tracks Top 10 rankings—including South Korea, the United States, Japan, France, and Brazil. It entered Netflix’s all-time Top 10 (Non-English TV) at No. 9 after its debut week, making it the third season in the franchise to achieve top rankings. Season 2 also climbed back to No. 3, and Season 1 to No. 6, proving once again that Squid Game remains a global phenomenon.

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