Over a week after the release of Netflix’s “Squid Game” season two, the series is facing another awkward controversy — this time due to an actor possibly accidentally spoiling season three with an Instagram post.

Actor Park Gyu-young, who plays No-eul in the latest season, shared a photo on Instagram on Wednesday of herself resting on set in a pink guard suit, which appeared to be from the filming of “Squid Game." However, another actor, speculated to be Lee Jin-uk, was spotted in the background wearing the same guard suit.


Park quickly deleted the photo after it sparked controversy. Despite its removal, speculation about the identity of the person behind Park continued, with viewers commenting, “If they were just one of the many pink guard extras, they wouldn’t be sharing the same chair as the main cast. They must be a key character.”

If the person was indeed Lee in a pink guard suit, it would mean that his character joins the Pink Guard team in season three — a major spoiler for the audience.

The backlash intensified, as Park had recently been cautious about avoiding spoilers in interviews with the local press. When asked about the pink guards, she simply stated, “Season three will explain it all.”

Netflix and Park’s agency, Saram Entertainment, advised the press to “check season three to find out,” maintaining a low profile on the issue.

Before the incident with Park, actor Park Sung-hoon was criticized for posting a pornographic image on his Instagram Story on Dec. 30. The actor apologized for the mistake, tearfully addressing the press during a recent interview.

“I will fully accept all the criticism toward me, but I hope people will look at the work with a warm heart,” he said.

The second season of Squid Game, directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk — who also helmed the first season — was released on Dec. 26, 2024. The new season continues to focus on the deadly survival contest, where hundreds of contestants play children’s games for a prize of 45.6 billion won ($31.3 million). However, this season also follows Gi-hun, the previous season’s winner, as he attempts to end the gruesome competition and confront its organizer, the Front Man, by rejoining the game.

The new season features returning stars such as Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun and Wi Ha-jun, alongside newcomers Yim Si-wan, Park Gyu-young, Kang Ha-neul, Choi Seung-hyun and Park Sung-hoon.

It has recently topped Netflix's Top 10 Non-English TV list for the second consecutive week, garnering 58.2 million views as of Sunday.

The series was also nominated for Best Television Series at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards but lost out to FX/Hulu’s "Shogun" (2024), a historical drama set in 1600s Japan.

The upcoming season is slated to be released this year, though the exact date has yet to be disclosed.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]