Who does Lee Jin-wook play in Squid Game Season 2? The actor's career and notable projects explored 

Lee Jin-wook, a well-known South Korean actor, has built an impressive career in the entertainment world since he started in 2004. He is famous for playing a variety of roles in TV shows and movies, and he is praised for the depth and subtlety he lends to each character he plays.

In Squid Game Season 2, he plays Park Gyeong-seok, also known as Player 246, a good-hearted contestant who joins the dangerous games to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment. This role shows Jin-wook’s talent for portraying complicated characters and his commitment to bringing emotional depth to his character.

Jin-wook has been working in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years. He’s famous for his roles in popular TV shows like Nine (2013), Voice (2018–2019), and Netflix’s Sweet Home (2020–2024). He’s also starred in well-known movies such as Miss Granny (2014) and The Beauty Inside (2015).

Whether it’s romantic comedies or thrillers, Lee Jin-wook keeps winning over fans. But for those who’ve just discovered him, here’s a quick look at his career.

This article contains spoilers for Lee Jin-wook's character on Squid Game Season 2.

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Lee Jin-wook’s career grew with the rise of Korean entertainment

Jin-wook’s story started in the early 2000s when he switched from studying Environmental Engineering to becoming an actor. He first got noticed for his roles in Resurrection (2005) and Alone in Love (2006).

His big moment came in Air City (2007), where he played the charming Kang Ha-joon. This role made him a popular star in the Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu.

After finishing his military service in 2011, Jin-wook’s career took off with the show Nine, a romantic drama about time travel that received a lot of praise. He proved his ability to play different roles in movies like Miss Granny and The Target (2014). The latter was a notably intense remake of the French thriller Point Blank.

The actor kept succeeding in both TV and movies, taking on roles in historical dramas like The Three Musketeers (2014) and modern series like Goodbye Mr. Black (2016).

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Netflix and Lee Jin-wook’s worldwide fame

Lee Jin-wook’s work with Netflix has greatly increased his popularity worldwide. In Sweet Home, he played Pyeon Sang-wook, a character dealing with personal struggles while also fighting against monsters. He appeared in all three seasons. This ended in 2024, and he received a lot of praise for his deeply emotional acting.

In Bulgasal: Immortal Souls (2021–2022), he played Dan Hwal, proving his talent for fitting into unusual stories that mix mythical ideas with deep human feelings.

Later, in Dark Nuns (2025), Jin-wook will take on the role of a priest fighting against supernatural forces. This will go on to show that he can handle roles that are both emotionally intense and physically tough.

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Lee Jin-woo plays Gyeong-seok, aka Player 246, in Squid Game Season 2

In Squid Game Season 2, Lee Jin-wook takes on the role of Gyeong-seok, also known as Player 246. Gyeong-seok is a character with good motives, even in the middle of the dangerous games. He gets shot by the guards this season and dies.

He enters the competition to earn the money needed to pay for his little daughter’s cancer treatment, as he is in debt. His past, which is linked to a guard named No-eul (Park Gyu-young), adds complexity to the narrative.

In the first game, “Red Light, Green Light,” Gyeong-seok’s reasons for acting and his sense of right and wrong become clear. This makes him a symbol of hope in the morally uncertain world of Squid Game.

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All episodes of Squid Game Season 2 are available only on Netflix.