Spoiler Warning: Plot Details for Squid Game Follow.

The viewers of the hit Netflix show Squid Game saw South Korean actor Wi Ha-joon portraying the role of the courageous police officer, Hwang Jun-ho. 

In search of his beloved lost brother, who had joined the lethal game, Jun-ho tracks down the game facilitators and infiltrates the secluded island with zero knowledge of what was happening inside it. 

He gets himself the red ensemble from other game staff and maneuvers around the place to find the whereabouts of his older brother.

Luck finally runs out for the beloved character as the masked host finds him and shoots him on his shoulders, making him fall from the cliff to the ocean with no life support. 

Though the thrilling storyline for the police officer apparently ended with the scene, Wi Ha Joon and his character became one of the most loved personas of the Netflix hit.

However, it turns out that Wi Ha-joon almost didn't get the career-defining role in Squid Game. This is because the show's creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, hadn't incorporated the character in the initial script. 

'Squid Game' Director on Wi Ha-Joon's Character

Dong-hyuk, Squid Game's art director Chae Gyeong-sun, and actors Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo gave a group interview for Netflix Korea on September 29, 2021. 

During the sit-down, the team discussed different aspects of the show, including the characters and behind-the-scenes stories. The director gushed about Ha-joon's character and mentioned he wasn't in the initial script as he wrote the project as a movie at first. 

"Two hours wasn't enough to even cover all the games," he elaborated before stating that the script expanded after Netflix bought it as a series.

And true to his statement, the filmmaker had written the script as a movie back in 2008. However, its violent nature and dark plotline filled with bloodsheds didn't impress production companies and investors in South Korea.

Thankfully, two years later, Netflix signed the deal with the director for the script and helped create Squid Game. 

Dong-hyuk stated he could only introduce Ha-joon's character because the series gave him enough space to add more stories. He also highlighted the importance of the famous role, describing the role as the essence of the game.

The fame director remarked that the character helped bring the story behind the masked people regulating the game. The 50-year-old also mentioned that the figure helped viewers know how they were being controlled by other people. 

In his own words, Ha-joon's character was vital in the grand scheme of the series. And without doubt, the character has amassed worldwide fame for Ha-joon. 

Since debuting a short film in 2012, the 30-year-old has dabbled in numerous TV shows, and movies, including Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, Something in the Rain, Romance Is a Bonus Book, and 18 Again. But no project brought him fame and recognition as Squid Game.