From left, Joon-hee (played by Jo Yu-ri), Seong Ki-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), and Hyun-joo (played by Park Sung-hoon) in “Squid Game” Season 3. Courtesy of Netflix

Since the release of “Squid Game” in 2021, the green tracksuit emblazoned with the number “456” has become synonymous with actor Lee Jung-jae. His character, Seong Ki-hun, may be pitiful and prone to foolish choices, but at his core, he is a man desperately trying to live with dignity and compassion.

With the release of “Squid Game” Season 3, the final installment of the Netflix hit series, on June 27, viewers bid farewell to a five-year journey with Ki-hun. Meeting with reporters on July 3 at a café in Seoul’s Jongno District, Lee reflected on the series’ legacy. “Because Season 1 was such a massive success, I felt a lot of pressure about what kind of message and entertainment to deliver next,” he said. “Personally, the series made me reflect on how far I can trust others and how I protect my conscience.”

In Season 3, Ki-hun is driven by a fierce desire to protect a newborn baby, the child of Joon-hee (played by Jo Yu-ri), who participated in the deadly game while pregnant. In the final challenge, Ki-hun faces a harrowing choice: he must push at least one person off the structure to win, but the only ones left are himself and the baby. In the end, he sacrifices himself so the child can live.

Lee saw this as Ki-hun returning to his true self. “Ultimately, I think Ki-hun found his essence again,” he said. Over the course of 22 episodes, Ki-hun lies, betrays, and even kills, yet Lee repeatedly described his character as someone guided by conscience. “He goes through a lot, but I believe Ki-hun is someone who chooses to live without shame. That’s what drives him.”

Lee also expressed deep respect for director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s decision to end the series with Season 3. “It could’ve been extended, but Hwang made it clear that he wanted to bring it to a close. When I read the final script, I thought, ‘He’s not just any director,’” said Lee. “You can feel his passion for the project and his commitment to artistic integrity.”

One of the most poignant moments in the final episode comes when Ki-hun says, “We’re not chess pieces. We’re people. People are...” and trails off. Lee recalled that he suggested a few different endings for the line, but over time, he came to agree with the director’s choice to leave it unfinished. “No matter what words I added, it was impossible to capture the complex and overwhelming emotions Ki-hun was feeling at that moment,” he said.

If he had to complete the sentence himself, Lee said it would be: “People are... Everyone deserves to be respected.”

“The players are all people with tragic stories, and the VIPs watch them suffer for entertainment,” he said. “The game forces them to betray and kill one another, stripping them of their humanity until the very end. I played Ki-hun with that sense of injustice in mind.” For Lee, the ultimate villain in the series was “the one who created the game itself.”

Already one of Korea’s top stars, Lee became a global household name thanks to “Squid Game” series. In 2022, he became the first Korean and Asian actor to win the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. “This show became an inseparable part of my life,” he said. “It also gave me the chance to experience how the world views Korea, something I’d never really encountered before.”

Despite his international fame, Lee said he does not feel like he has changed much. “I’ve had hits and misses over the years. You can’t go into a project expecting only massive success,” he said. Speaking about his next role in the upcoming tvN’s TV series tentatively titled “Provoking Love,” he added, “What matters most is staying focused on the work I’m doing right now.”

That said, Lee hopes the impact of “Squid Game” will last longer, especially in spotlighting Korean content. “Now that Korean content has been properly introduced to the world, I hope that interest continues,” he said. Having made his directorial debut in 2022 with the film “Hunt,” Lee added, “I want to help spread Korean films even further.”

"’Squid Game’ was like a door suddenly opening, allowing global audiences to start watching Korean content. It made me want to create even better work, and I hope that door never narrows or closes again."