“Squid Game 2” Stars You Might Not Know Are Also K-Pop Idols

Did you know there are 4 music artists among the cast?
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Spoiler Alert

This article reveals plot details of a current movie or series.

Netflix‘s hit thriller series Squid Game‘s second season premiered on December 26, introducing viewers to many new characters. Yet, some faces might be familiar to K-Pop fans.

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Here are 4 Squid Game 2 actors who are also music artists:

1. ZE:A’s Im Siwan (also known as Yim Si Wan)

ZE:A's Im Siwan
ZE:A’s Im Siwan

Siwan has become a household name for his multitalented acting skills and roles in Run On, Summer Strike, and Strangers From Hell, among many other K-Dramas. Now, he’s garnering even more attention as Player 333 in Season 2 of Netflix’s hit thriller series, Squid Game. His character, Lee Myung Gi, is a controversial YouTuber who lost everything by investing in a scam cryptocurrency and caused other players, including his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Player 222, Kim Jun Hee (Jo Yuri), and retired rapper Thanos (T.O.P), to participate in the games.

Yet, before Siwan became a world-famous actor, he debuted as a K-Pop idol. His group, ZE:A (also known as Children of Empire), debuted under Star Empire Entertainment in 2010. The group includes nine members: Kevin, Hwang Kwang Hee, Siwan, Moon Joon Young, Kim Tae Heon, Jung Hee Chul, Ha Min Woo, Kim Dong Jun, and Park Hyung Sik (like Siwan, Hyung Sik has become a recognizable face for his numerous K-Dramas that people often forget he’s an idol).

2. Jo Yuri

Jo Yuri
Jo Yuri

Squid Game is technically Jo Yuri’s third survival show. She participated in Mnet‘s 2017 reality television show Idol School, which ultimately formed the girl group fromis_9. Yuri ultimately debuted in IZ*ONE in 2018 after finishing third place in Mnet’s survival show Produce 48.

@ac.yeji

Jo Yuri (updated) wins total – 1 win #joyuri #kpop #wins #viral #squidgame

♬ DOWN (Juicy Juicy) – JO YURI

 

The group disbanded on April 29, 2021, with the contract’s expiration, but Jo Yuri went on to debut as a soloist, releasing her first single album, Glassy, on October 7, 2021. She’s also famous for many K-Drama OSTs, such as The Law Cafe‘s “Can You Feel My Heart, Work Later, Drink Now 2‘s “Drink It, Girls!,” See You in My 19th Life’s “Down (Juicy Juicy),” and My Lovely Liar‘s “Luv Luv Luv,” a duet with ZEROBASEONE‘s Sung Hanbin.

@geumdong1e

this song is so good🥹❤️ #sunghanbin #joyuri #mylovelyliar #ost #kdrama #koreandrama #kdramas #ostdrama #zb1 #zerobaseone @ZEROBASEONE @JOYURI Official

♬ Luv Luv Luv – JO YURI & SUNG HAN BIN

@blancaur8

#joyuri

♬ DOWN (Juicy Juicy) – JO YURI

3. T.O.P

T.O.P
T.O.P. as Thanos | Netflix

T.O.P is no stranger to K-Pop fans, as he debuted as a member of the iconic YG Entertainment boy group BIGBANG. He’s now made his comeback portraying the retired rapper Thanos, who abuses substances, which somewhat mirrored his real-life scandal.

I feel that it took him a lot of guts, in a way, to portray a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person too. So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role.

Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively and I’m very satisfied with what he did with the character.

— Director Hwang Dong Hyuk

T.O.P as Thanos
| Netflix

While T.O.P confirmed he departed BIGBANG in 2023, he seemingly referenced the group’s hit “BANG BANG BANG” while Squid Game 2 players competed in “Mingle.” In the game, the players grouped by announced numbers and then ran to the safety of rooms. Each round began with the players being spun on a merry-go-round-like platform. While spinning, he seemingly did the choreography. 

4. YDG (also known as Yang Dong Geun)

Yang Dong Geun
Yang Dong Geun

Yang Dong Geun starred as Player 007, Park Yong Sik, who became indebted due to his gambling addiction and finds himself in Squid Game alongside his mother.

While his character might be a “deadbeat son,” he is far from that in real life! He’s a husband with two sons and a daughter (they appeared on The Return of Superman together) and an accomplished singer and record producer.

You might know him better as YDG, who contributed to Penomeco‘s hit, “BOLO.”

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