Jo Yuri from 'Squid Game 3' explained why she did not trust her ex-boyfriend and baby daddy Yim Siwan.
On the afternoon of the 8th, an interview with Jo Yuri, the lead actress of the Netflix series 'Squid Game' Season 3, was held at a cafe in Seoul's Sogyeok-dong.
'Squid Game 3' depicts the final fate of Gi-hun, who lost his best friend in a game he re-entered with his own purpose, the Front Man who infiltrated the game while hiding his identity, and the contestants who survived in the brutal game. Season 1 premiered in September 2021, causing a global phenomenon and breaking all-time viewership records, capturing audiences worldwide. Season 2 was released in December 2024, and it finally concludes with the last series.
'Squid Game 3' recorded 60,100,000 viewers just three days after its release, maintaining the top spot in all 93 countries that tally Netflix's top 10, not only in Korea but also in the United States, Japan, France, and Brazil. This marks Netflix's first work to top the charts in all countries during its first week of release, proving to be a blockbuster hit. Additionally, it entered the top position for non-English series on Netflix in its opening week, with Seasons 1, 2, and 3 all listed within the top 10 non-English series on Netflix. Over the past week, Season 2 ranked 3rd in the global top 10, while Season 1 rose to 6th, demonstrating that it continues to attract significant interest from fans worldwide. Currently, on the OTT ranking site FlixPatrol, it has maintained the top position for 10 consecutive days.
Jo Yuri, who is from the girl group IZ*ONE, made her official acting debut in the 'Squid Game' series. She played Jun-hee, who participated in the game after losing a large amount of money due to believing incorrect investment information from her ex-boyfriend Myung-ki (played by Yim Siwan). She first joined in Season 2, and in this Season 3, she plays a character who gives birth to a daughter during the game and brings a significant twist to the story.
Jo Yuri, who acted as a pregnant woman for the first time, said, "I had never held a baby before, so I learned how to hold one again before filming. I had no idea which side to support the head. I thought, 'There is a lot more to do than I expected' as I studied such things," adding, "I acted by holding a baby doll as a dummy, and the production team added CGI on top of it. However, the dummy looked very much like a real baby, which helped me immerse myself in the role."
At 24 years old, Jo Yuri said, "I never felt or thought about maternal love before. I was young and only acted out in front of my mom, and then I entered society. While playing Jun-hee, I realized how great a mother's love is, and that such unconditional love exists. I thought, 'This is true love.'"
In the middle of the drama, heavily pregnant Jun-hee gives birth to a daughter whose father is Myung-ki. Although her biological father is present in the game, Jun-hee increasingly conflicts with Gi-hun as she leaves her daughter in his care.
Jo Yuri responded, "I understood this scene well. Myung-ki is the biological father, but I didn't feel he was like one. I felt more humanity from Gi-hun, and as a mother who had to entrust her child, I had confidence because Gi-hun was the winner of the previous season, thinking, 'He might do better in the game.' I think I believed that he would protect my child."
In response to the question, "I wonder what Jun-hee's true feelings for Myung-ki were," she said, "At first, there was still some affection left. Although Myung-ki ghosted me, I wasn't completely over him. I would say 'I hate him,' but there was a bit of lingering attachment in my heart. It started that way, and as I saw Myung-ki taking good care of Jun-hee, I began to open my heart and thought, 'Should I trust him?' But everything crumbled because of his actions in the hide-and-seek game. Trust broke down, and I think that is why I didn't choose Myung-ki but Gi-hun to look after the baby."
Meanwhile, 'Squid Game 3' was released worldwide on the 27th of last month.
[Photo] Provided by Netflix
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