Lee Jung-jae has described the ending of Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 as a courageous decision by director Hwang Dong-hyuk, saying the finale put a firm full stop on the series’ message.
According to a MoneyToday report, Lee shared his view on October 24 at an event marking Netflix Korea’s 10th anniversary, held at the Sangam Cultural Reserve Base in Seoul’s Mapo District. He described two reactions: as an actor, he felt that ending the story at that point delivered its message with unusual force, and, as a viewer, that such a successful series could close without a fourth or fifth season.
The finale centers on Lee’s character, Seong Gi-hun, who sacrifices himself to save a baby. Lee framed that outcome not as an unfinished story, but as Hwang’s decision to end the series on its own terms, rather than extending a global hit for its own sake.
Lee also reflected on the scale of the response the series received around the world. He said overseas fans had told him they felt proud as Asians and as Koreans, and that people living far from home had found comfort in the show during difficult times. He added that he had simply filmed a television series, and that the depth of feeling it drew from viewers had moved him more than he expected.
‘Squid Game’ launched in 2021 and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. The survival drama follows 456 players competing for a prize of 45.6 billion won. Hwang’s work on the series also earned him an Emmy Award for directing, a milestone noted in the report as a first for a director of a non-English-language series.
Fellow cast members at the anniversary event offered their own reflections. Lee Byung-hun, who plays the Front Man, Hwang In-ho, recalled acquaintances’ surprise when his character removed his mask in Season 1. He said he had expected Season 2 to explore the Front Man’s past, but was surprised to find the story unfolding in the present tense, including the Front Man joining the game as Player 001. Park Hae-soo, who plays Cho Sang-woo, said many viewers found comfort in the series during the lonely period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taken together, the remarks present Season 3 as a conclusion the series’ creators chose: a story that knew when to stop, even at the height of its success.
