Actress Park Kyung-young bowed her head in apology for revealing spoilers about 'Squid Game' Season 3 while also sharing her honest thoughts on the more polarized reactions compared to Season 2.
During an interview held on the 2nd at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, for the Netflix original series 'Squid Game' Season 3 (directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, hereafter 'Squid Game 3'), Park Kyung-young expressed to the press, "I think I have shown a disappointing side for several months, and you must have felt let down. I believe this will be an opportunity to directly meet and discuss the questions and stories I avoided for fear of being a burden to the work," as she bowed her head in greeting.
Previously, after the release of Season 2, she posted a photo from the 'Squid Game' filming set on her social media (SNS), which led to a spoiler controversy. The photo contained elements that hinted at the next steps of cast member Lee Jin-wook, which turned out to be part of the main story in 'Season 3.'
On that day, Park Kyung-young stated, "I think I disappointed people by posting spoilers. I received related questions during the production presentation for 'Season 3,' but I couldn't answer them properly. I held back my words as it could be seen as an acknowledgment of the spoilers," adding, "I sincerely apologized to the production team, the director, and senior Jin-wook, and I have reflected a lot on myself."
She continued, "The director told me to ensure that such mistakes do not happen again, and senior Jin-wook kindly reassured me that it was okay. While I have been forgiven, I have spent a long time contemplating how much responsibility I had towards the work and how short-sighted and immature I was. I have reflected deeply and felt a lot of self-blame," bowing her head once more.
She also mentioned, "I think viewers might have started with some assumptions due to my spoilers, so I want to sincerely apologize without any excuses."
Furthermore, she added, "I felt so uncomfortable that I couldn't properly watch the work until I made an official apology today. I couldn't even check the audience's reactions; I was just restless and couldn't enjoy 'Season 3.' I am truly sorry," reiterating her sincerity.
"Participating in the two seasons of 'Squid Game' has led me to a lot of self-reflection and introspection. It's a huge work with a strong global fandom. In the process of fulfilling the duty of explaining the narrative of a character within the work, I deeply felt the need to be more centered and cautious, realizing that I must never make mistakes. Although I trained for that, I was upset about making a mistake, and I thought I need to become more humble and continuously reflect on myself. I think it has been a few years where I felt painfully how much I need to reflect as an actor."
She also shared her feelings about parting with the 'Squid Game' series. Park Kyung-young expressed, "Like all the actors, it is an honor to be part of such a work," adding, "Isn't that a finale in itself? I was happy to be a part of this vast universe. I believe it has had a significant impact on my acting career in some way."
She continued, "I have been doing my best with what has been presented to me so far, and I am still in the process of doing so," stating, "I felt with my whole body that there is still so much to learn. I met incredible colleagues, saw, and felt a lot. While running together towards a single goal, I received new energy. I am confident that it will be a great nourishment for my roots as an actor."
Regarding the mixed reactions to the work, she said, "I haven't had the mental space to properly look for reactions to the work yet, but it's natural for there to be diverse opinions about any work, and I think sharing them freely is positive," cautiously adding, "Separately, I believe that the director's intentions are all captured within the work."
"It has been an incredibly interesting experience as an actor. From eye and facial expression acting to gun action, and the cold and restrained atmosphere, I have tried unfamiliar things with 'No-eul.' (Somehow) it seems to be getting darker and heavier... If given the opportunity in the future, I want to show even newer and more diverse sides of myself."
Additionally, she mentioned, "Since I started acting, I have had the ambition to become a versatile actor, and although the road is long, fortunately, it seems I am heading in that direction. That challenge, dream, and effort will continue."
Released on the 27th of last month, 'Squid Game 3' topped the global charts within a day of its release and has been breaking records daily. According to the Netflix TOP 10 website, 'Squid Game 3' recorded 60.1 million hours (calculated by dividing viewing time by runtime) within three days of its release, ranking first in the global TOP 10 series (non-English) category. It topped the Netflix TOP 10 in all 93 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Japan, France, and Brazil.
It became Netflix's first work to rank first in all countries during its first week of release, and it also set a remarkable record by having Seasons 1, 2, and 3 all listed in the top 10 of Netflix's all-time most popular series (non-English) category.
The work depicts Gi-hun, who loses his best friend in a game he re-enters with his own purpose, the Frontman who hides his identity while infiltrating the game, and the final fates of the participants who survive in that brutal game. Park Kyung-young played the role of the North Korean defector and former soldier, Pink Guard Kang No-eul, delivering a remarkable performance.
