“Squid Game 2” Star Lee Byung Hun Reacts To Fans Shipping His Character With Lee Jung Jae’s
Spoiler Alert
Netflix‘s hit Korean thriller series Squid Game returned for a second season on December 26, 2024. Season 2 brought back some main characters from the first season, including the protagonist, Player 456, Seong Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae), and antagonist Hwang In Ho, also known as the Frontman (Lee Byung Hun).
Season 2 shocked viewers with the plot twist of Hwang In Ho joining his own deadly games as he went undercover as a participant known as Player 001, Oh Young Il. The next most surprising aspect was his chemistry with Gi Hun.
#SquidGame2 gihun x inho player 456 player 001 serving toxic old man yaoi edit pic.twitter.com/yLAVvuHjFl
— @1of1kibum (@zosanfilms) December 29, 2024
@sultanaharuka gi hun x youngil #eljuegodelcalamar #squidgame #Leejungjae #LeeByungHun #squidgame2 #eljuegodelcalamar2 #tension #quimica #tension #moonlovers #bromance
Omg… pic.twitter.com/sm8081m0Z0
— Ispis.1 (@PastelitoCUTE11) January 1, 2025
This romantic “ship” between Hwang In Ho and Seong Gi Hun has taken the internet by storm. For those unfamiliar with the term, “shipping” is a verb that describes fans’ desire to see two persons in a romantic relationship, regardless of reality. The term is derived from the word “relationship.” While common among fandoms of fictional movies, books, or TV shows, fans are known to “ship” celebrities with each other in real life, too.
the way inho grabbed gihun here..was my weak point pic.twitter.com/aJo6dPDhEu
— dy 🦑⁰¹¹ (@MandyurMoon) January 2, 2025
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International fans, in particular, have embraced the “bromance” dynamic of Gi Hun and In Ho, creating video edits and sharing fan art that pairs the two romantically. This unexpected trend went viral on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram.
What squid games did yall watch 💀🦑
456 & 001 moment that totally happened guys trust me ☝️#SquidGame2 pic.twitter.com/nLTsYIx2dU— 🦋 Ivanna Fox 🦋 (@Ivanna_Fox) December 30, 2024
Squidgame 3 better open like this!!#SquidGame2 #457 pic.twitter.com/B6hS0ex1lN
— Yuri 🎧{ watching arcane} (@PT_Lynnn) January 2, 2025
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It’s gone so far that some edits are now made of the moments in which the actors, Lee Byung Hun and Lee Jung Jae, showcase their real-life friendship.
@fawerciasqi Cute #squidgame2 #squidgame #squidgamenetflix #leejungjae #leebyunghun
@rosiopportunity theyre such cuties #squidgame #squidgame2 #leejungjae #leebyunghun #gihun #inho #couple #ship #squidgamenetflix
@haruyazxishi
Now, Lee Byung Hun has addressed the viral shipping of In Ho and Gi Hun.
On January 8, Lee Byung Hun was interviewed by StarNews at a Seoul café. He compared working on Squid Game to his previous Hollywood projects, describing it as an extraordinary project that provided him with new experiences.
Lee Byung Hun also addressed the mixed responses the new season has received. While he respects the reactions, he personally enjoyed the series.
I respect those opinions. In fact, no project is immune to criticism. Personally, I really enjoyed it. I think Director Hwang Dong Hyuk is a very clever person.
— Lee Byung Hun
Lee Byung Hun also revealed his reaction to international fans’ shipping of Seong Gi Hun and Oh Young Il in Squid Game Season 2. The actor confessed he saw some “bromance” edits, using the term “BL” (Boys Love). He was initially confused, thinking his or his agency’s name had been misspelled.
I also watch YouTube, and I saw *Squid Game* videos with ‘BL’ written in large letters related to me. At first, I didn’t know what that meant, and I thought it was a mistake, like referring to BH (short for Byung Hun, the management company). Or maybe it was referring to Byung Hun Lee, I wasn’t sure.
— Lee Byung Hun
The interviewer even mentioned that fans are urging Gi Hun and Young Il to cut the tension by kissing, as fans have even commented on the actor’s posts. Lee Byung Hun thought it was a joke but didn’t find it particularly uncomfortable while laughing at the questions.
When asked about the reactions from international fans urging Seong Gi Hun and Oh Young Il to ‘kiss,’ Lee Byung Hun said, ‘I just thought they were joking around, but I’m not really sure what that’s about.’ When asked if he felt uncomfortable about it, he responded, ‘No, I’m not uncomfortable, but I wouldn’t say I feel particularly good about it either,’ laughing off the question.
— StarNews
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Since Lee Byung Hun and Lee Jung Jae are friends in real life, it must be strange to see their characters shipped so heavily by their fans! Only time will tell what happens in Season 3…
