[Update] Jo Yuri (ex-IZ*ONE) reportedly joining cast of ‘Squid Game 2’, first female cast member revealed + Park Gyu Young reportedly a female lead

Former IZ*ONE member Jo Yuri is joining the cast of Squid Game 2, according to a SPOTV exclusive.

It’s a bit of a surprising choice because the soloist just started acting last year in the web drama Mimicus, and then made a guest appearance on Work Later Drink Now 2, but she impressed viewers immediately with her ability and obviously the industry has taken note as well.

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Jo Yuri’s casting is also significant because when the initial cast for the season was announced, there was backlash that no women were named in it despite many of them being breakout stars in the first season, but now she’s the first actress that’s been revealed to be a part of the project.

The others announced were Im Siwan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Sung Hoon, and Yang Dong Geun, with Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hun, Wi Ha Joon, and Gong Yoo returning. The show is slated to begin filming next month in July.

그들이 돌아옵니다. 새로운 참가자들과 함께.

<오징어 게임> 시즌2 캐스팅 확정.#TUDUM #오징어게임 #SquidGame pic.twitter.com/LDqg7ypMsz

— Netflix Korea｜넷플릭스 코리아 (@NetflixKR) June 17, 2023

Update

Park Gyu Young is reportedly stated to star as a female lead in the upcoming season. I’d be pretty excited about this since I’ve been crushing on her since Sweet Home, but I digress.

Meanwhile, Netflix and the agencies of the two women have basically given no comment, which makes sense considering they probably want to do a reveal themselves.

Netflix went from "tee hee the female cast is a secret" to two actresses being leaked within hours of each other when they saw the 'Squid Game 2' cast backlash, lmao.

— Asian Junkie (@asianjunkiecom) June 23, 2023