“I actually did it in one take”: Park Sung-hoon on nailing Hyun-ju’s tearful exit in Squid Game Season 3

Squid Game Season 3 did have its own share of gasp-inducing exits, but there was one scene that made me cry both emotionally and story-wise, and that is Hyun-ju's sacrifice. While this season has been full of cold-blooded games and backstabbing strategies, her last scene provided a different type of heartbreak, through sacrifice and selflessness instead of survival strategies. It surprised individuals not only for what was accomplished, but also in how it was accomplished.

In an interview with Variety, Park revealed that the emotional death scene took one take to shoot. He said,

"Director Hwang [Dong-hyuk] gave me a direction saying, ‘When Hyun-ju slips away from the camera, could you have one tear roll down your face?’ And I thought it would be hard, but I actually did it in one take."

He continued,

"So when I finished it, the staff all clapped and cheered for me.”

The power of the scene was such that the cast and crew were clapping as soon as the cameras stopped rolling. It wasn't the performing that lent energy to the set—it was the reward of a development of character that had made a strong emotional impact on both actor and audience.

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Hyun-ju's unselfish decision in Squid Game Season 3

Hyun-ju's demise in Squid Game Season 3 takes place during a game of hide-and-seek, which stands as one of the most poignant scenes of the season. During the heated game, she spots the exit door and has a clear chance to survive. However, she comes back on her own free will and helps fellow players, choosing solidarity over individual survival.

This results in her getting stabbed by Lee Myung-gi, another contestant. The second is neither filled with peril nor with accident, but with intent—Hyun-ju does not fall because she was careless, but because she chose to. This choice to return and rescue others is in service to her season arc. A journey that started as an individual search for financial survival becomes transforms into something else.

She imbibes humanity into a show that is otherwise cruel and competition-centered. It's a plot twist for the series, and an excellent character moment that earns the emotional resolution of the season to pay off.

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A character founded in identity and change in Squid Game Season 3

Hyun-ju was a trans woman and a former military soldier. Both are defining features of her character and deeply affect her actions throughout the series. Her initial motivations are to cover the cost of her gender-affirmation surgery, but these are redirected as she grows attached to the other players. Her physical resilience is given to her due to her military background, but her emotional maturity and empathetic nature provide her character development.

Park concurred that goodbyes to Hyun-ju were the most difficult aspect of being on the program. He told Variety that,

"It was very hard for me to say goodbye to her, because I thought she would last longer. I think she died earlier than she should have, so it’s a shame.”

Her choice in Squid Game Season 3—is a symbol of strength, vulnerability, and kindness in a world that doesn't necessarily compensate her for having those qualities. Her character is never reduced to a gimmick; rather, it adds depth to the richness of complexity of the character and makes the audience grasp the stakes that she has at play beyond the game.

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Behind the scenes of Squid Game Season 3: Spontaneous and unforgettable performance

There were no complex preparations for shooting the death scene in multiple takes in Squid Game Season 3, as Park told. He was confident about the emotional impact of the scene and captured it in a single take. "The staff all clapped and cheered for me" he stated, a moment of tension and relief for the crew and actors. The clapping wasn't simply for technical prowess—it was a tribute to a moment that had resonated with precision and authority.

Park's intention with Hyun-ju was clear, and he had mapped out his approach to the character. As per Variety, Park also talked about Hyun-ju tracing the blood of her last opponent.

"Director Hwang was actually very keen on that scene, because he told me that when Hyun-ju is wiping off the sweat and there’s blood stained all over her face, she got to look badass. We went for like 10 or more takes to make her look really cool in that scene."

He added,

And as you said, there’s the other player who just passes by and decides not to fight me. I think that was very funny — it’s a scene that shows Hyun-ju’s charisma and aura. So that’s also a moment I hold dear to my heart."

Going with it was what worked to bring the raw authenticity of the scene to the forefront.

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Reception and emotional impact of Hyun Ju's death in Squid Game Season 3

Though Squid Game Season 3 certainly has its share of cliffhanger deaths, Hyun-ju's was among the cases where the loss seemed personal and deserved. It wasn't losing the game, though it was making a conscious, moral decision amid tragedy. The audience responded to the scene with admiration for the character's courage as well as for Park's acting with an incredibly high level of emotional investment.

The episode has been ranked by many fans as one of the best episodes of the series. It was a character and story-driven episode where the story and the character mixed well, both narratively and emotionally. Unlike shocking killings, Hyun-ju's death stays with viewers because it is a spectacle-free sacrifice.

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Park's reflection on Hyun-ju's journey in Squid Game Season 3

To Park, Hyun-ju's character was very close to his heart. He laid out why it was emotionally challenging to depart from her and how much of an honor it was to act such a diverse and rich character like hers. The experience was indelible as a working one, but also as an individual one.

Her personal shift from self-survival to self-sacrifice, and from soldier to guardian, is a grand examination of identity and change. Park's ability to bear that trip on her shoulders credibly, particularly in a pressure-cooker single take, added depth to already charged material.

Also read: Squid Game Season 3 first 6 minutes: Resurrection of player 456 with more sinister plot in play