[SBS Star] Park Gyuyoung Explains Why She Could Not Get Advice from Jung Hoyeon for 'Squid Game 2'

Actress Park Gyuyoung shared an interesting reason why she could not get advice from her good friend, actress Jung Hoyeon, for "Squid Game 2." 

On January 3, Park Gyuyoung sat down for an interview at a café in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

In "Squid Game 2," which was released on December 26, Park Gyuyoung plays a character named Kang No-eul, whose sole goal in life is to reunite with her young daughter left behind in North Korea. 

Unlike the other named actors, she made her mark not as a game participant but as a pink guard, leaving a strong impression.
In the first season of "Squid Game," Jung Hoyeon portrayed a North Korean defector with a North Korean accent, but Park Gyuyoung deliberately avoided using the accent, creating a distinct difference between the two roles.

Explaining this choice, Park Gyuyoung said, "My character has been living in South Korea for seven years after defecting, so it made sense for her to speak standard Korean. We also wanted to minimize any sense of disconnect for Korean viewers, which is why we made that decision." 

Though both Park Gyuyoung and Jung Hoyeon play characters with North Korean backgrounds, their roles—a pink guard versus a game participant—could have drawn comparisons. 

However, Park Gyuyoung shared, "Instead of preparing myself for the series by comparing myself to Hoyeon's role, I focused on my character's story and how clear her purpose was in the narrative. I thought a lot about how to justify her actions and make her relatable to viewers. I also continuously discussed these aspects with the director." 
When asked if she had sought advice from Jung Hoyeon, who is both a close friend and fellow agency member, Park Gyuyoung laughed and said, "When I told Hoyeon that I'd be in the second season, she just said, 'Just work hard and have fun—you'll do fine.' We're both pretty laidback, so that was the end of the conversation." 

She then added, "Besides, the script was confidential, so Hoyeon couldn't have given me much advice even if she wanted to." 

Throughout the interview, Park Gyuyoung remained cautious not to drop any spoilers about "Squid Game 3." 

Smiling, she concluded, "This is exactly why I couldn't talk to Hoyeon about the character!" 
(Credit= Netflix Korea) 

(SBS Star)