Yim Si-wan on His ‘Squid Game’ Villain: “People Just Want to Yell at Me”

Yim Si-wan recently shared his thoughts on portraying Lee Myung-gi in the Netflix original series Squid Game.

On the 12th, the YouTube channel Hong Seok-cheon’s Treasure Box aired the 10th episode of its fourth season, titled, “The Prince Who Crawled Out After the Top Celebrity Host Personally Asked Him to Come: Yim Si-wan.”

Host Hong Seok-cheon introduced Yim Si-wan, saying, "Not only did you shine in Misaeng: Incomplete Life, but also in The Merciless and Boyhood. But we can't not talk about Squid Game. After its release, you gained a massive global fanbase, and the show hit No. 1 in 93 countries immediately after its premiere."



He continued, "Are you aware of how much worldwide attention you're receiving after Squid Game?" Yim Si-wan replied with a laugh, "I think it's less about attention and more that people just want to yell at me a little more because of my character."

When asked how he felt about playing Lee Myung-gi, Yim Si-wan said, "It's not that playing a villain is particularly daunting, but this character had such subtle and complex emotions—that's what made it really difficult for me."



He added, "This was a character that made me keep questioning myself until the very last cut, the very last moment of filming." Hong Seok-cheon praised him, saying, "Watching Squid Game, I learned so much from your performance. Even though the character is so unlikable, you made him strangely understandable. It's truly impressive."

Meanwhile, Yim Si-wan played Lee Myung-gi, contestant number 333, in the Squid Game series, earning worldwide recognition for his performance.

Photo Credit: Hong Seok-cheon's Treasure Box YouTube Capture

This article is a translated version of the original Korean article published by Xportsnews, originally written by Lee ChangKyu. This article was translated from Korean using AI-assisted tools and human review to deliver an accurate and culturally appropriate version for international readers.