(From left) Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Han So-hee, Park Seo-joon. Images: Instagram/@yim_siwang, Instagram/@kbsdrama, Instagram/@xeesoxee, Instagram/@bn_sj2013
Season two of the Korean breakthrough hit “Squid Game” is shaping up to be deadlier than its first, as Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, and Yang Dong-gun were cast in the sequel. Meanwhile, chameleon-like stars Han So-hee and Park Seo-joon will join forces in a quest for survival in “Gyeongseong Creature.”
New faces, return of fan favorites, and sneak peaks of Korean-helmed media, which emerged as a breakthrough force in streaming platforms and the entertainment industry, were announced at a global fan event on Sunday, June 18.
‘Squid Game 2’
The new cast of “Squid Game 2” was confirmed in a one minute-teaser, following days of unconfirmed reports regarding Yim joining the sequel’s cast.
Familiar faces will also be reprising their roles including Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun), Lee Byung-hun (Frontman), Wi Ha-jun (Hwang Jun-ho), and Gong Yoo (recruiter), the lattermost of which surprised viewers with his peculiar performance of bringing Seong into the deadly survival games.
Production for “Squid Game 2” will kick off in July of this year, although a premiere date is yet to be announced, as of this writing.
The returning characters’ fates and roles of its new actors are yet to be disclosed as well.
‘Gyeongseong Creature’
Meanwhile, Han So-hee and Park Seo-joon will team up as a pair of fighters in the horror series “Gyeongseong Creature” which will be set in 1945.
Seo-joon will play the role of the affluent Jang Tae-sang, who is a prominent fixture in Gyeongseong (an old name for Joseon, now Seoul). So-hee will portray Yoon Chae-ok, a young sleuth dedicated to finding missing individuals.
The series, which also stars Wi Ha-jun, Claudia Kim, Kim Hae-sook, and Cho Han-cheul, will tell the story of survival where people are on a quest for survival — with monsters threatening their fate.
Returning favorites
Sequels for “D.P.” starring Jung Hae-in and Koo Kyo-hwan and “Sweet Home” starring Song Kang and Lee Jin-wook were also announced at Netflix’s “Tudum” fan event, although further details about its premiere dates haven’t been disclosed to be public.
Five years since its premiere, “Believer” is also returning for a second season where Cho Jin-woong will reprise his role as detective Won Ho.
New eye candies
On the other hand, Park Gyu-young will star as a top actress and influencer in the upcoming series “Celebrity,” while actress-singer Bae Suzy will charm viewers as a retired K-pop idol in “Doona.”
Park Bo-young, meanwhile, will portray a psychiatric nurse in the upcoming series “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” which is set to be released in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to JTBC News.
“Mask Girl,” “A Time Called You, “Song of the Bandits,” “Ballerina” were also teased to the viewers and while the fan event showed a glimpse of its respective storylines, full details are yet to be revealed to the public. EDV