‘I did everything I could’: Actor Lee Jung-jae bids farewell to iconic ‘Squid Game’ character in final season

Actor Lee Jung-jae wants to give Gi-hun, the character he played in Netflix’s “Squid Game” (2021-), a pat on the back for enduring the deadly challenges of the show during its three-season-long run.

“I may not be able to praise [Gi-hun] for doing good, but I do want to tell him he worked hard,” actor Lee said during an interview with reporters at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Thursday.

“I believe I did everything I could. Of course, if a year or two passes and I watch ‘Squid Game’ again in the future, I might look back and wonder why I missed some things back then. But right now, at this moment, I feel like I gave it my all.”

The third season of “Squid Game” was released on June 27, wrapping up the final chapter of the deadly, bloodthirsty survival competition based on childhood games.

Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the latest season continues Gi-hun’s journey after his failed attempt at a rebellion to end the brutal game and witnessed his friend Jung-bae, portrayed by Lee Seo-hwan, die at the hands of the Front Man, portrayed by Lee Byung-hun.

Throughout the seasons, Gi-hun makes numerous decisions — some selfless, many reckless — and puts his life on the line on a regular basis. And for Lee Jung-jae, portraying such a complex character meant constantly questioning what truly motivated him.

Lee Jung-jae pins Gi-hun’s actions on the character’s “conscience.”

“As I continued filming through season three, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about why Gi-hun behaves the way he does and why he makes certain decisions,” the actor said. “And the word that kept coming to mind was ‘conscience.’”

“From Gi-hun’s perspective, whether his actions were right or wrong, I felt that his conscience was the strongest driving force behind them. Regardless of how others might view him, what mattered most to him was being able to look at himself and still feel a sense of integrity — that was the foundation I held onto while playing the role.”

The ending of “Squid Game” came as a shock to many viewers — something unexpected and, for some, even unwelcome. Lee revealed that he, too, was surprised by the way Gi-hun’s story ended and praised director Hwang’s courage for making such a bold creative choice to bring the story to a definitive close.

“Gi-hun’s unexpected ending was something that I honestly didn’t see coming as well when I first read the script,” Lee Jung-jae said. “My initial thought was, ‘How will the viewers react to this? Will most of them like this ending?’”

“But at the same time, I felt a deep respect for director Hwang. I thought, ‘He’s truly a writer, someone who genuinely loves his work and doesn’t just see this as an entertainment business.’ He really tried to find the most meaningful ending possible. And the fact that he had the courage to bring such a massively successful series to a close at that point — I found that incredibly bold and admirable.”

As the actor expected, the finale sparked plenty of discussion and divided opinions — something he sees as a natural and even positive outcome for a series like “Squid Game,” saying, “The show is not just a project chasing typical entertainment. The entire series conveys a core message and each episode also carries its own sub-theme that it wants to deliver.”

While many assume the show’s success dramatically changed his life — a question the actor says he’s asked often when speaking with international press — he shared that, actually, things haven’t changed that much for him personally.

“Because it was such a huge success, I do want to say that a lot has changed,” Lee Jung-jae said. “But it just feels like I slowly got here by continuing to do what I’ve always done steadily, over a long period of time.”

That said, there is one big adjustment that he is still getting used to when abroad: paparazzi.

“In Korea, I can still move around pretty freely,” Lee Jung-jae said. “But overseas, people actually follow me around. Sometimes, if I go into a restaurant, they’ll wait outside until I come out just to take a photo. Some even wait at the hotel just to get an autograph. It is something that I am not used to, but I do feel grateful for it.”