'There's no excuse': 'Squid Game' actor Park Gyu-young apologizes for spoiling series plot point

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'There's no excuse': 'Squid Game' actor Park Gyu-young apologizes for spoiling series plot point

Published: 03 Jul. 2025, 16:13 Updated: 04 Jul. 2025, 14:07

KIM JI-YE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Actor Park Gyu-young, who appears as Pink Guard Kang No-eul in the recently ended Netflix's series ″Squid Game″ (2021-) [NETFLIX]

Actor Park Gyu-young made a sincere apology about unintentionally spoiling the final season of Netflix's "Squid Game" (2021-), breaking her six-month-long silence over the issue in a recent interview with the press.

"There’s no excuse — it was a foolish mistake, and I’ve reflected deeply on it," Park said during an interview with reporters at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Wednesday.

In January, the actor had posted a photo of herself in a Pink Guard suit after the release of the show’s second season in December last year. However, in the background, another actor, speculated to be Lee Jin-uk, was also seen wearing the same costume, which reveals a major plot point of the drama.

Park says she has struggled to feel "closure," despite the series' end, due to her mistake.

“Honestly, I felt a huge sense of guilt,” she said. “I blamed myself a lot, and I really reflected a lot on the responsibility that an actor should carry within a project.”

“I also spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to be more careful and deliberate as an actor. It led me to deeply reflect on myself in many ways.”

Still from the last and third season of Netflix's series ″Squid Game″ (2021-) [NETFLIX]

Park added that she feels deep remorse toward the show’s director and crew, while clarifying that Netflix did not demand any penalty fee but advised her to be more cautious in the future.

The final season of “Squid Game” was released on June 27, ending the three-season series about a brutal survival competition based on childhood games.

Park joined the series in season two as Kang No-eul, a former North Korean soldier-turned-defector who participates in the game as a Pink Guard — the masked enforcers who operate and monitor the games. She is the first character in the “Squid Game” universe to offer a glimpse into the world from the perspective of the Pink Guards.

In the show, viewers can easily sense that No-eul shows almost no emotion — even behind the mask that conceals her face. One of the key ways this was conveyed was through her voice, delivered in an exceptionally low tone.

“I saw the character as someone who has no will to show any emotions and even believes that expressing feelings has no value,” Park said. “The director described her as someone who doesn't want to open up to anyone — someone who lacks the will and courage to do so. We agreed that her voice should reflect [this], so I used the lowest tone I’ve ever used in my acting.”

Actor Park Gyu-young, who appears as Pink Guard Kang No-eul in the recently ended Netflix's series ″Squid Game″ (2021-) [NETFLIX]

While some might assume that acting with a mask makes things easier, Park explained that it was quite the opposite — especially for a character like No-eul. Because so little could be conveyed through facial expression, and she wasn't able to she exaggerate her movements, she focused instead on transforming herself physically, building muscle and toning up to demonstrate the strength of her character.

“We couldn’t depend on facial expressions or body language because No-eul isn’t a character who moves freely,” Park said. “Instead, we tried to portray a sense of solidness and unshakable firm strength.”

She described the series as a “turning point” in her life.

“I’ve truly come to realize how much more genuine, humble and responsible I need to be — not just as an actor, but as a person,” Park said.

Now nearly a decade in the industry, the 31-year-old actor hopes to continue growing, both professionally and personally.

“I don’t usually set clear, specific goals like, ‘Next year, I want to do this,’ or ‘I want to become this kind of actor.’ But what has become much clearer to me over time is that I want to be not only a wiser actor, but also a good person.”

BY KIM JI-YE [[email protected]]