Lee Jung Jae Addresses The Very Mixed Reactions To “Squid Game 3” Ending, Shares His Personal Thoughts On It
Actor Lee Jung Jae (53) has shared his thoughts on the ending of “Squid Game 3.”
Recently, Lee sat down for an interview with Sports Chosun at a café in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to talk about the Netflix original series “Squid Game 3.” Reflecting on completing season 3 after five years since season 1, he said, “The first thing that comes to mind is that I’ve had an incredible experience. I’m truly grateful for all the attention and love the show has received. But I also find myself wanting to take in the public’s response more slowly. Now that it’s really over, I wonder if there’ll ever be another chance to talk about ‘Squid Game’ again. With films, there are often anniversary screenings or events even 5 or 10 years later. But since this is an OTT series, I’ve never really seen that happen. So I keep wondering, ‘Is this really the end?’”
He added, “Whenever I take on a project, it’s always tough in the beginning. Figuring out how to portray the character, how to express emotions — those choices are difficult. But as filming progresses, I become more immersed in the role and naturally grow attached. So when we get to shooting the final episodes, I always wish we had more time. For dramas, I often feel we could use four to six more episodes. And for movies, I hope the character continues into a sequel. ‘Squid Game’ was the same. Rather than feeling relieved, I feel more regret, thinking, ‘Is this really it?’ I guess it’s like that for every project.”
Addressing some of the mixed reactions about the ending of “Squid Game 3,” Lee said, “It was clear that the director and writer had a strong sense of purpose. When a show is such a big success, there’s a tendency to stretch it out endlessly as a franchise. But instead of riding that wave of success, I was surprised by the courage to prioritize closure. It showed me that he values the work itself over material gains or prolonging the series. When I first received the script for season 2, it was actually 13 episodes that were meant to conclude the story. Reading that, I thought, ‘Wow, he really is a writer. He’s not in this for entertainment or showbiz — he’s committed to his art.’ That left a strong impression on me.”
Related: “Squid Game 3” Brutal Ending Explained
He continued, “That’s why I wanted to support his decision. Rather than pushing my own ideas, I kept asking him, ‘What do you want to do more of?’ I wanted to align with his vision as much as possible.”
“Squid Game 3” follows Gi Hun, who re-enters the deadly game with a personal mission and ends up losing his closest friend. It also tells the stories of the Front Man, who enters the game under a new identity, and the final fates of the surviving participants.
The series became a massive hit immediately upon its release. Within just three days of its June 27 premiere, “Squid Game 3” recorded 60.1 million viewing hours (calculated by dividing total viewing time by runtime) and topped Netflix’s global Top 10 chart, ranking No. 1 in all 93 countries where the list is tracked, including South Korea, the U.S., Japan, France, and Brazil.
It also entered Netflix’s all-time Top 10 (non-English TV shows) at No. 9 during its debut week, making “Squid Game” one of the only franchises with all three seasons ranking in the global top 10. Season 2 and Season 1 also surged back into the global Top 10, ranking 3rd and 6th respectively, proving the franchise’s ongoing popularity around the world.
What did you think of “Squid Game 3” ending?
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