Since Netflix's Squid Game first caught global attention, the South Korean show created by Hwang Dong-hyuk has thrown challenges not only at its characters but also at its audience. In its third and final season, set to premiere on June 27, 2025, the show promises to deliver even more emotional intensity and moral conflict. Yet even before any episodes have aired, an intriguing Squid Game theory has been making waves: Jun-hee’s fate, one of the new contestants and visibly pregnant, might have already been revealed in subtle clues within teasers and promotional posters.
Played by Jo Yuri, Jun-hee is introduced as Player 222. Young, visibly fragile, and in the late stages of pregnancy, her mere presence in the Squid Game already feels deliberately unsettling. What does it mean to place a pregnant woman in a scenario where survival depends on eliminating others? From this place of discomfort, a fan theory emerged, gaining traction especially on Reddit, suggesting that Jun-hee gives birth within the game’s confines and dies shortly after, before the baby ever experiences the outside world.
The theory of childbirth and loss
This idea stems from a brief sequence in the trailer where Myung-gi, Jun-hee’s ex and a fellow player, is seen crying while holding a key, an in-game item that allows access to doors after another player is eliminated. The camera shows him looking downward, presumably at Jun-hee’s belly, which fans interpreted as a visual cue indicating that labor had already begun amid the chaos of the Squid Game arena.
The following shot reveals Player 149, Geum-ja, sobbing uncontrollably. According to fan interpretations, she may have been present during the birth and possibly helped in some way. Her overwhelming grief is viewed as an emotional response to Jun-hee’s potential death shortly after childbirth. Although fleeting, this chain of scenes was enough to spark a theory too compelling to dismiss. Not only because of its emotional weight, but also because Squid Game has never shied away from turning human suffering into something disturbing yet watchable.

Visual codes and emotional symbolism
The idea of a character giving birth in such hostile conditions, only to die right after, fits the show’s deeply tragic tone. The theory gained legitimacy when ScreenRant published an article analyzing visual and narrative clues from the teaser. The piece highlights the sound of a baby crying in the background, a first for the Squid Game universe, as a subtle but powerful auditory cue. The site also cites other speculative sources that point to Jun-hee’s possible death becoming the emotional catalyst for Myung-gi’s arc, pushing him toward either redemption or collapse.
Fan reactions surrounding this theory haven’t been merely emotional; they’ve been meticulous. Reddit users noted how Jun-hee appears increasingly weak throughout the trailer footage, while Myung-gi goes from detached to visibly shaken. For longtime fans, this is no coincidence. It’s a form of visual storytelling that the show has consistently employed, layering emotional cues and silent foreshadowing into the very fabric of its narrative.

The narrative weight of the key
Myung-gi’s key doesn’t feel like a random prop. Some believe he tried to free Jun-hee from the dormitories so she could safely deliver the baby, a mission he ultimately fails, hence his on-screen grief. While there’s no confirmation from the creators, the sequencing of these scenes might suggest that Jun-hee's giving birth and possible death will carry significant narrative weight within the show's finale.

In Squid Game, nothing is accidental
It’s important to remember that the show never treats its characters as mere plot devices. Their fates often serve as biting social commentary. If the theory proves to be correct and Jun-hee dies after childbirth, the moment wouldn’t just be tragic, it would serve as a brutal metaphor for how even the promise of new life can be crushed under oppressive systems.
And this wouldn’t be the first time the show planted subtle clues in its marketing. In season two, sharp-eyed viewers correctly predicted the return of the Front Man and a major twist involving Gi-hun just by analyzing poster details. The series production embraces a cinematic language rich with silent clues, glances, sound effects, and framing choices, all of which add credibility to the idea that Jun-hee’s fate has been quietly sealed right from the start.

Conclusion: a symbol of resistance, or just another victim?
As the premiere of season three approaches, the theory only continues to gain momentum, fueled by fans who know how to read the show’s patterns. If Jun-hee does, in fact, die after giving birth, it would be a gut-wrenching narrative choice, but one that aligns with the core themes of Squid Game: the devaluation of human life, the cruelty of survival under capitalism, and the brutal consequences of systemic indifference. And if she lives, the emotional impact could be even greater, positioning her newborn as a symbol of resistance within one of the most hostile fictional worlds ever created for television.