In Squid Game 2, Lee Joo-Sil played the mother of undercover detective Hwang Joon-Ho (Wi Ha Joon) and the stepmother of Hwang In Ho (Lee Byang Hun) aka the Front Man
Lee Joo-Sil in Squid Game 2
Veteran South Korean actor Lee Joo-Sil, best known for playing Park Mal Soon in the second season of Netflix's Squid Game, passed away at the age of 81 after battling stomach cancer. According to reports, Lee suffered from cardiac arrest at her family home on the morning of February 2 and was pronounced dead after being transferred to St Mary's Hospital in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi.
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Lee Joo-Sil’s cancer battle
In Squid Game 2, Lee Joo-Sil played the mother of undercover detective Hwang Joon-Ho (Wi Ha Joon) and the stepmother of Hwang In Ho (Lee Byang Hun) aka the Front Man. Lee was previously diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in her fifties and she was given a life expectancy of one year. However, in July 2023, she shared that she spent 13 years being treated for the disease and that it had ultimately been successful, as per People.
"I found out at the end of stage 3 and it soon became stage 4," said Lee, adding, "I overcame it well because I have children."
"Everyone becomes stronger when faced with a crisis," she continued. "If you let everything go, you become helpless. When I was contacted by a film company to work with them, I said, 'I'm sick,' and they said, 'That's an illness, and we're working.' I was grateful for that kind of thinking.”
Lee started her acting career in 1964. She was part of stage productions of Death of a Salesman and Macbeth, the K-drama The Uncanny Counter, and the 2016 horror movie Train to Busan. Her funeral service will be held at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, on February 5.
About Squid Game Season 2
After winning the deadly games at the end of Season 1, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is back--this time with a mission. Armed with the horrifying knowledge of what the games are truly about, he aims to convince other players to opt out and end the deadly competition once and for all, while also trying to save their lives. The story takes place three years after Gi-hun won.
Returning cast members include Wi Ha-jun and Gong Yoo. The new season also introduces a star-studded cast with Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, and others joining the series.
The hit Korean drama is set to return on June 27 this year while wrapping up the intense survival series with its third and final season.
