Squid Game Season 3 Breaks Records: 100 Billion KRW K-Drama Hits 19M Views Ahead of Release
According to the June second-week OTT K-Original Content Viewer Evaluation Report by Consumer Insight, Squid Game Season 3, with a ₩100 billion KRW (approx. 74 million USD) budget, topped series yet to be released for the second straight week, riding 85% awareness and 55% intent to watch—eclipsing strong contenders like TVING’s I Am a Running Mate (2nd) and U+ Mobile TV’s Hunter with a Scalpel (3rd).
Rated 19+, Season 3 has already edged past other R-rated releases like Hunter with a Scalpel. Its first teaser, released on June 1, exploded with over 10 million views in two days. As of the morning of June 12, views reached a staggering 19.18 million.
Official Cast Reveal: Lee Jung-jae vs. Lee Byung-hun
The six-part finale, about 50 minutes per episode, hits global Netflix on June 27, featuring:
- Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun
- Lee Byung-hun as Front Man (Hwang In-ho)
- Wi Ha-joon, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Jo Yu-ri, Lee Da-wit, Noh Jae-won
- Special appearances by Park Hee-soon, Kim Byung-chul, Oh Dal-soo
Season 3 Plot: From Defeat to Redemption
Direct continuation of Season 2, it follows Gi-hun, who chose not to flee to the U.S. after the failed rebellion, instead standing up against the Front Man and the secret organization.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk shared at a press conference:
“Season 3 deals with Gi-hun, who’s fallen to rock bottom guilt-ridden over losing friends and failing to save people then rises up again.”
He also revealed the story stems from the philosophical conversation between Gi-hun and Front Man in Season 2, dealing with human trust and worldview a climax and resolution that should be thrilling.
Lee Jung-jae adds that Gi-hun’s arc is about transcending his guilt and deciding who he wants to become. Lee Byung-hun says Front Man aims to destroy Gi-hun completely, with intense drama and major confrontations ahead.
New Rivalries & Character Arcs
- Im Si-wan (as Myeong-gi) and Jo Yu-ri (as Jun-hee) evolve from lovers into opponents. Myeong-gi’s cunning and flawed choices plunge him into peril.
- Kang Ha-neul returns as Gae-dae-ho, who faced criticism in Season 2 for being overly cautious. He’ll have more character-driven moments and nuanced relationships.
- Lee Jin-wook, previously believed dead, returns as Park Kyung-seok: “He was marked out after the rebellion, but what happens to him inside the game? I’m just as curious,” he says.
- Park Sung-hoon strengthens as transgender soldier Jo Hyun-ju, showing deeper bonds with fellow players.
- Lee Da-wit’s character Chan-seok grows darker after witnessing Semi’s death, fighting to survive amid chaos.
Fresh Game Designs & New Twists
Hwang teases new challenges:
- A high-bridge rope game
- A maze-based “tag” and “hide-and-seek”
- Group jump-rope
- Starlit labyrinth
- A new robot doll named “Cheolsu”
Jun-hee’s pregnancy introduces ethical tension, another emotional storyline to watch.
Beyond the Squid Game Phenomenon
- Squid Game Season 1 (Sept 2021): Netflix’s biggest original with 265 million views and 2.2 billion minutes watched. #1 in 94 countries for 53 consecutive days; won major awards including Emmys, Golden Globe, and SAG.
- Squid Game Season 2 (Dec 2024): Set new first-week record with 487.6 million minutes, hitting #1 in 92 countries and attracting 126.2 million cumulative viewers—Netflix’s second-most-watched non-English original. It was the most-watched non-scripted show in the U.S. in the 2024–25 season and boosted domestic Netflix usage by 65%.
Director Hwang says:
“Season 3 wraps up the Squid Game series—no plans yet for Season 4. But spin-offs are possible.”
Closing on a hopeful note, he added:
“Never would we have expected such a miracle. While you can dream of success, going this far is unparalleled. This journey has shaped us in ways no one anticipated.”
With 19 million teaser views and global audience expectations through the roof, Squid Game Season 3 is poised for a grand finale. Whether Gi-hun and the Front Man will face off in a climactic showdown, and how the intricate character arcs resolve, remains to be seen—but the world is ready.
