In Squid Game 3, the male lead Gi Hun (played by Lee Jung Jae) had a surprising ending. He decides to sacrifice himself to save the newborn child, the child of Jun Hee (Jo Yuri) and Myung Gi (Im Si Wan) - the character opposite him in the final game.
Gi Hun's departure received mixed reactions. Some audiences call this a "satisfactory ending". While others viewed the ending as a bad choice and declared the series has lost its appeal.
Lee Jung Jae accepted all the comments from the audience, saying: "Very mixed reactions are inevitable for any project. Especially with Squid Game, this is not just a project pursuing purely entertainment purposes.
Each episode has a clear message that it wants to convey. I believe it is natural that strong messages are continued through many different interpretations and debates."
The 52-year-old actor said he was surprised and admired director and screenwriter Hwang Dong Hyuk when he chose this ending for the character Gi Hun, which also marked the end of the series.
"I was surprised when I read the script. I never imagined that the ending would be like this. I know the director has considered many versions and it is very difficult to make a choice. It was an ending that clearly showed his intention to end the series.
Usually, successful series will become commercial rights projects and last unlimitedly. There will be opportunities to work for a few more years and meet more people from all over the world.
But the director chose to end the series because he prioritized the integrity of the story, instead of chasing business profits or fame. I was surprised by his courage. The director must love his work very much, Lee Jung Jae shared.
The actor further revealed that the scene about Gi Hun's final choice was filmed for 1 day. Director Hwang values the ending very much and puts a lot of effort into this important scene.
At the age of 52, Lee Jung Jae admitted that "Squid Game" is the most influential work in his career and life. This role has made Lee Jung Jae one of the most famous Korean actors worldwide.
"Everywhere I go, people surprisingly recognize me. That made me think Squid Game was really great, he said.
Squid Game 3 set a record as the first film to win No. 1 in all 93 countries with Netflix services worldwide. But Lee Jung Jae did not pay too much attention to this record.
According to him, the important thing is that through Squid Game, Korean content will become more popular, opening the door to many audiences around the world.
Lee Jung Jae has received many invitations from Hollywood after Squid Game, but the actor is still considering and has not made any decision for his next project.
He is currently filming the lead role of the Korean drama "Petty Love" with actress Lim Ji Yeon.
In addition, Lee Jung Jae seeks development opportunities in the role of director, screenwriter and film producer.
In 2022, the actor made his successful debut as a director and screenwriter, through the movie "Hunt" starring him and Jung Woo Sung.
