This Squid Game star is 'worried' by the show's popularity, here's why

Squid Game is a show that the audiences didn’t see coming, and it completely captivated them. The record-breaking TV series has topped many charts in terms of viewership. Needless to say, its popularity is unlike any other, especially considering that it's a Korean-language show.

The show has paved the way for many South Korean stars who have made it huge. Lee Jung-jae is one such actor whose fame has escalated ever since the show came out. But the actor has admitted that the dystopian-thriller show’s success makes him a bit sad. Here’s why.

Lee Jung-jae’s take on Squid Game

The show’s success has blown up the lives of its actors, especially its main cast members. It has also brought Korean content onto the global radar, and its unique way of story-telling. In an interview with The Guardian, Jung-jae describes his new global fame and popularity as bittersweet. And he added that a global audience resonating with the story and plot of Squid Game is hugely worrying for him. He feels like somewhere along the line, the objective of the TV series is lost.

Lee Jung-jae’s concern about Squid Game

Squid Game explores a competition of cash-strapped individuals battling out children’s games in a do-or-die environment. Upon losing, the contestants face instant death. It pushes beyond the values and ethics of humankind, and looks at the extent they would go to for money.

Jung-jae said:

But if you think about the themes of Squid Game – how far are we willing to go to accumulate personal wealth; the lengths people are forced to go to – the fact it resonated with so many around the world is worrying. You get a sense this is the reality for so many people globally. And that makes me feel hugely sad.

He explained:

And we had to express the experiences of these characters being pushed to those extremes. Doing that? It was terrible. The more beautiful the game set was, and the more childish and fun it seemed, the more horrific it was for the characters, and therefore us as actors.

The actor also admitted that he tries to not think of the show’s plot, but it is something that he cannot escape. Jung-jae added:

And it made me think about what I’m not doing. Many of us live obliviously. It made me rethink how I look at the world. It couldn’t not.

Sources used:

- The Guardian: 'Lee Jung-jae: 'Squid Game made me rethink how I look at the world'

- Screenrant: 'Squid Game Star Is Saddened By The Show's Success'