Yuri Cho of 'Squid Game 3': "Entrusting the Baby to Lee Jungjae Was a Choice to Save a Life" [Interview]

Playing Junhee, Who Entered "Squid Game" While Heavily Pregnant
Former IZ*ONE Member... Auditioned Four Times, "I Was Desperate"
On Criticism of Her Acting: "I Will Use It as Nourishment and Work Harder"

Yuri Cho is taking photos ahead of the 'Squid Game 3' interview on the 8th in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Netflix

"Junhee was a character who threw herself into despair to save her child. Even though the scene where she gives birth, ready to die, was just acting, I was genuinely terrified."

On the 8th in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Yuri Cho shared her thoughts on playing Junhee in Netflix's "Squid Game 3," saying, "It was by no means a light challenge." Junhee joins the game while heavily pregnant, struggling to survive with her child. During the game, she gives birth, and the newborn is assigned participant number 222 and re-enters the game.

Portraying childbirth was a daunting task for her, as she had no real-life experience to draw from. Kang Aesim, who played Geumja, Junhee's supporter, was also a great help to Yuri Cho in real life. She said, "My seniors told me, 'When you're giving birth, you don't think about anything. You lose yourself.' I decided not to try to express anything and just trusted their words. I let myself be guided by the seniors' performances."

In the drama, right after giving birth, Junhee gives up her own life and entrusts her child to Gi-hun (Lee Jungjae). Yuri Cho said that this scene was particularly difficult. Some viewers also pointed out that this scene lacked plausibility.

"The jump rope game scene was the hardest for me. I think Junhee realized she couldn't survive on her own while jumping alone. That's why she asked Gi-hun to take care of her child. She also told him not to come in to help, since he could be in danger too. She judged that this was the only way to save her child. I saw Junhee as an extremely realistic person."

Director Hwang Donghyuk instructed her to suppress her emotions in this scene. Instead of sinking into sadness, he wanted her to film the scene as if she were comforting Gi-hun. She said, "I only realized the director was right after seeing the final cut. It was much more powerful than just showing me being sad alone."

Yuri Cho said she focused on the fact that Junhee was a character abandoned by her parents. That's why she interpreted Junhee as wanting to protect her own child no matter what. She said, "While filming, I thought a lot about my own mother. For the first time, I truly felt that maternal love is a sacred and great emotion."

She debuted as the main vocalist of the girl group IZ*ONE in 2018 after finishing third on Mnet's idol survival show "Produce 48," and then transitioned to a solo singer in 2021. The following year, she appeared in a web drama, but it was through "Squid Game 3" that she began acting in earnest. She landed the role of Junhee after four rounds of auditions. Director Hwang said he cast her because "her eyes were compelling." Yuri Cho recalled, "At the time, I was rejected from almost every drama and movie audition. My life felt like a survival game too."

"That was my last attempt. I was living alone in Seoul and auditioning. My mother supported me financially, but things were tight, and I had reached my limit. As the eldest daughter, I thought I should go back to my hometown and earn money. If I didn't make it this time, I would have had to give up. I was truly desperate."

Yuri Cho is taking photos ahead of the interview for "Squid Game 3" on the 8th in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Netflix

She first started acting in high school as a member of the theater club. Although she debuted as a singer first, her thirst for acting never went away. She said, "Even while working as a singer, I practiced acting on my own. As soon as I started my solo career, I took acting lessons and auditioned. I must have auditioned for dozens of roles. Almost every drama I watched was one I had auditioned for."

For her, "Squid Game" was a definite turning point. She realized her own potential as an actress and gained recognition by standing alongside Lee Jungjae and Lee Byunghun in a globally popular series. Her international fanbase also grew. Yuri Cho said, "I couldn't believe I was in the same space as my seniors. When Lee Jungjae watched my performance and said, 'Your eyes are good,' it eased my nerves. That one comment was a huge comfort."

After the release of season 3, reactions were mixed. Some criticized her for having a monotonous expression in extreme situations, making her emotions seem flat.

"It's natural for people to have different opinions. If they're saying those things, it means they've watched the whole series. I took their comments as words of affection. I was actually grateful. I want to use those comments as nourishment and show an even better side of myself in my next project."

Yuri Cho is releasing a solo album for the first time in two years. On the 7th, she pre-released the track "Time of Dogs and Cats" from her third mini-album "Episode 25." She said, "Foreign fans left comments like, 'You sing too?' and 'Your voice is nice.' It was amazing. I wanted to repay my fans, so I participated in writing the lyrics." She plans to continue pursuing both acting and music in the future.

"I learned so much from this project. I'm looking forward to seeing how I can incorporate what I've learned into my next work. I'm more excited than burdened. I want to become an actor who receives even better reviews."