Director Hwang Dong-hyuk attends the world premiere event for "Squid Game" Season 2 in Seoul, Dec. 9. Yonhap

In "Squid Game" Season 2, director Hwang Dong-hyuk crafts a darker version of society through Gi-hun's radical transformation.

The protagonist's journey — from a struggling everyman to a determined fighter against systemic injustice — serves as a powerful lens through which the series examines themes of resistance and social change.

"After enduring many traumatic experiences in Season 1, Gi-hun came to understand that the challenges he and other players faced were not the result of individual actions but rather were rooted in the flaws of the system itself," the director said in a recent interview with local media in Seoul.

"He realized that to bring about change, he needed to challenge the system and those in power, rather than placing blame on others at his level," he continued, likening him to Don Quixote battling windmills.

"Even if he appears foolish, perhaps we need someone like him — someone bold enough to confront the system. We often spend too much time just blaming one another," he said, adding, "Our anger should be directed upward, not at our peers or those beneath us."

In the second season, Gi-hun makes a fateful decision after winning the brutal survival games. Rather than leaving for the United States with his prize money, he chooses to remain in Korea, driven by a single, obsessive purpose: dismantling the deadly organization behind the games once and for all.

Gi-hun's seemingly reckless fight may be destined to fail, "like an egg striking a rock," the director said, drawing a parallel to a novice politician with noble ambitions to revolutionize society, only to become disillusioned and ultimately fail.

Despite how futile it may appear, such efforts are meaningful and worth pursuing, he said, adding the second season of Netflix's global sensation, released on Dec. 26, delves into the very futility of Gi-hun's efforts to battle against the system.

From left, Lee Byung-hun, Yang Dong-geun, Jo Yu-ri, Hwang Dong-hyuk, Kang Ae-sim, Lee Seo-hwan, Im Si-wan and Lee Jung-jae pose for a portrait to promote the second season of "Squid Game," Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles, U.S. AP-Yonhap

The third — and final — season, set to premiere later this year, will conclude the entire story of "Squid Game" where, according to the director, the narrative reaches the ultimate depths of despair.

"It's difficult for me to share specifics," he said, "but I can tell you this: I wanted to explore the very end of despair, where even those holding onto the faintest glimmers of hope see them shattered. When all hope is extinguished and only despair remains — what lies beyond that?"

While he ruled out the possibility of a Season 4, he left the door open for potential spin-offs, calling them "interesting ideas." If developed, those could explore what occurred during the three years between Season 1 and Season 2, or delve into the hidden stories of the In-ho and Jun-ho brothers.

The third season, currently in the final stages of production, will bring the story to a definitive close "in every sense of the word," Hwang said.

"Everything will conclude in the last season, both in terms of the characters' stories and the messages I want to convey to viewers," he said.

"Among the three seasons, the final one is my favorite and you should be prepared for something intense. It will deliver the strongest message yet." (Yonhap)