A Squid Game Star May Have Spoiled A Key Season 3 Death
"Squid Game" Season 2 is as deadly as ever. With fresh games like Mingle and the Six-Legged Pentathlon, the masked guards are certainly kept busy filling their gift box-shaped coffins — a twisted message from game creator Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su) – at the end of each round. Still, in the midst of the bloodshed, one player manages to maintain a heart of gold: Player 149, Jang Geum-ja (Kang Ae-Sim).
A loving mother, Geum-ja enters the games in an attempt to help pay off the debts of her son, Park Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), whom she is shocked to learn is also participating as Player 007. Quickly, she becomes a maternal figure to more than just Yong-sik. She embraces Cho Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), accepting that Player 120 is transgender despite not fully understanding it, and keeps a protective watch over Player 222, Jun-hee (Jo Yori), who is far along in her pregnancy.
After some close calls throughout Season 2, like when Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) pull her into a room at the last second during Mingle, Geum-ja survives. However, the actress behind this beloved mother may have let slip during an interview for "Squid Game" that her character doesn't make it to the end of Season 3.
Geum-ja might not survive all of Season 3
With "Squid Game" Season 3 set to premiere in 2025, fans can't help but wonder about the fate of the dynamic cast of new characters. Several fresh faces meet their demise in Season 2, including sweet Kim Young-mi (Kim Si-eun), who doesn't make it into a room during Mingle, and Thanos (Choi Su-bong), whose dark story mirrors that of actor and real-life rapper T.O.P. But what about Geum-ja, her son, and those she has taken under her wing?
In an interview with GogglerMY, it seems as though Kang Ae-Sim accidentally disclosed the fate of Geum-ja ... and it doesn't look good. When asked by the interviewer about the pressure of shooting Seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back, she and Yang Dong-geun shared that the pair spent half a year on the "Squid Game" set. Kang then added, "It was just six months for us, but for some of the other actors, it was a year."
In response, Yang frantically whispered to his co-star and jokingly put his hand in front of her mouth. One can deduce from this exchange that what Kang said was viewed by Yang as a spoiler. Given their significantly shorter filming schedule compared to other actors, this could mean that the mother-son duo of Geum-ja and Yong-sik don't live for very long in the forthcoming season, with the battle between Gi-hun and The Frontman continuing after they're gone.
The death of Geum-ja would be devastating
If Geum-ja were to meet her demise in "Squid Game" Season 3, it would be a tragic loss for both the fandom and actress. In an interview with Korea Times, Kang Ae-Sim shared how thrilled she was to be part of the project and take on such a dynamic role. She said, "It was incredibly fun. I read the script in one sitting — it was that gripping." As for her on-screen son Yang Dong-geun, she described working with him as a "blessing." Therefore, if Kang had to film the death scene of Geum-ja (and, possibly, Yong-sik), it was most definitely a sad day on set.
Kang's passion for the show and character is translating to audiences, many of whom are expressing how devastated they'll be if Geum-ja gets killed. On Reddit, u/Ok_Jacket_2366 said, "If she dies next season, I'll absolutely sob. She is such a supportive sweetheart who is the mother of not only her son but to everyone."
Still, even if Geum-ja doesn't live to make dinner for Hyun-ju and see Jun-hee become a mom (something that fans also want to see in Season 3), many believe that she won't go down without a fight. U/CookieCatSupreme said, "They've mentioned her having fought in the Korean War several times and she has that knife on her so I really hope we get to see her be a badass at least once next season."