WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Squid Game, now streaming on Netflix.
In Netflix’s Squid Game, one of the most shocking arcs came with Jun-ho, the Korean cop who infiltrated the mysterious island to find his brother, In-ho. He was worried In-ho died in the competition after he found the game’s calling card in In-ho’s apartment, but the big twist was that In-ho was actually the Front Man, who ran the competition. It ended with Jun-ho being killed, but he may be alive and awaiting a proper confrontation in Season 2.
It comes to a head when Jun-ho, after almost sabotaging the contest, scubas out to another island and tries to flee. In-ho and the game’s goons catch up, though, and In-ho shoots his brother, who then falls off a cliff and into the sea. The cop isn’t shown again so it seems like he’s dead, but that just wouldn’t be in the nature of Squid Game.
Squid Game tends to show dead bodies or the actual moment of the murder, but Jun-ho is shot in the shoulder so it may not be fatal. Sure, the fall and drowning could kill him, but the fact that In-ho hesitates before and never explains why he ran off suggests Season 2 will explore this. Creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk already said he wants to dissect the game working with law enforcement to keep it hidden, so this is a great platform for Jun-ho to return, only to discover the system he was part of is complicit and corrupt.
More so, audiences need to see him and his brother running through the timeline and explaining why In-ho left the family to run the game. It could be for money, pride or a sadistic hobby, so Jun-ho can return to find out the truth, as In-ho does seem like he’s there against his will at times. Given that the boss, Player 001, is dead, it’ll have extra weight to it since In-ho, if he’s really a villain, may not want to let this power go.
Conversely, In-ho has resources in a fragmented staff, and seeing as he expressed regret after shooting his brother, he could’ve planted people to find the body and keep his sibling alive. A major hint comes in how he doesn’t mourn the incident that much and has no problem carrying on to finish the contest. Thus, his not being broken due to his brother’s death hints that a twist is coming.
Jun-ho could be a prisoner, with his brother not wanting him to expose the system. This option could give fans more of a truly selfless, fan-favorite character who went through so much, providing the option for closure, as In-ho’s mom is worried sick. It’d also test the concept of family. Most of all, with actor Wi Ha-joon indicating he’d love to return to Squid Game to finish the siblings’ story, it feels like their rivalry is far from over.
See how Jun-ho and In-ho’s tragic story unfolds in the first season of Squid Game, now streaming on Netflix.
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