ELLE Exclusive: Park Sung-hoon On Playing A Trans Character Without Stereotypes—And Why It Mattered In 'Squid Game' Season 3

Park Sung-hoon isn’t new to playing layered characters, but his turn as Cho Hyun-ju in Netflix's'Squid Game' Season 3 feels like something altogether different. As Player 120, a transgender woman and former special forces soldier, Hyun-ju is both a fighter and a protector, carrying pain, purpose, and grace in equal measure. It’s a role that treads difficult terrain, demanding nuance and compassion, and Sung-hoon meets it with a quiet, considered intensity.

Now, with Season 3 streaming and Hyun-ju’s story still echoing through the fandom, Park reflects on the emotional weight of portraying a character who quickly became one of the series’ most beloved. His performance isn’t just about survival or spectacle, it’s about honouring a person who, even in a blood-soaked game, never lets go of her humanity.

Park Sung-hoon brings a complex tenderness to Cho Hyun-ju, aka Player 120, a former special forces soldier and one of the most beloved new faces in ‘Squid Game’ Season 2. A transgender woman with a fierce moral compass and a clear personal mission, her journey resonated deeply with audiences worldwide. 

Portraying a transgender woman as a cisgender actor came with its weight. When the conversation shifts to the community’s reaction, Sung-hoon is quick to acknowledge his responsibility. “I had a lot of concerns,” he admits. “I was worried people might be uncomfortable, or that I might get it wrong. So I never treated the role lightly. I focused on Hyun-ju’s personality, her justice, her humour, and her leadership. And I paid close attention to the situations she was in.”

It’s Hyun-ju’s story that he believes represents the core of Squid Game’s message. “She’s a character that symbolises the LGBTQ minority,” he says. “Kind of like how Ali did in Season 1. She’s faced a lot of discrimination and prejudice outside the game. You see that in her dynamic with Geum-ja, the older woman. At first, Geum-ja doesn’t like her. However, as time passes, she learns to respect her and even develops affection for her. That’s the shift I hope viewers experience too, that they start with bias, and leave with empathy.”

When asked how he prepared for the role, Sung-hoon reflects, “Maybe Hyun-ju wasn’t as strong outside the game, but inside, she forms a strong bond with some of the contestants. That connection makes her want to protect them, and that’s what brings out her resilience. However, she’s also vulnerable; her greatest weakness is her intense care. She’s a deeply selfless person. I just wanted to honour how strong that makes her.”

Her arc, he says, is more than just about survival. It’s also a journey of self-discovery, about how she sees herself and how she wants others to perceive her. Balancing that internal world with the physicality of a soldier required nuance. “Hyun-ju has a very clear purpose,” he says. “She wants to earn enough money to go live freely in Thailand. That’s why she votes O for just long enough. During the coup scene, when she runs up the stairs shooting pink guards, it’s not violence for the sake of it. Her military instincts kick in, yes, but it’s always in service of saving others, those she’s come to care for, and those who might enter the game in the future. There’s so much internal conflict in that scene. It may look like she’s in control, but she doesn’t want to be doing any of it.”

“I do hope more opportunities are given to transgender actors, and that Hyun-ju can help open that door.”

When I told him I teared up during her death scene in the new season’s episode three, he smiled gently. “That means a lot. It’s emotional for me too. I think her story conveys the real bloodshed of the season.”