Seong Gi-hun / Player 456

Seong Gi-hun, known as Player 456, is the protagonist of the South Korean series Squid Game. Played by actor Lee Jung-jae, Gi-hun is an ordinary man whose life takes a drastic turn when he participates in a mysterious and deadly survival game.

Gi-hun is a divorced man and father of a daughter named Ga-yeong, whom he loves deeply but with whom he has a distant relationship due to his personal and financial problems. He previously worked as a chauffeur, but lost his job due to a series of bad decisions, including gambling debts. He lives with his ailing mother, who supports him financially despite her own precarious situation.

Overwhelmed by his debts to loan sharks and desperate to improve his life and that of his daughter, Gi-hun agrees to enter a competition that promises a large cash reward. However, he soon discovers that the games are deadly, and every loss means death for a player.

During the games, Gi-hun proves to be a person with great empathy and moral principles, despite his troubled past. Throughout the competition, he forms alliances with other players, such as:

Player 001 (Oh Il-nam): An old man with whom he develops an almost paternal relationship.

Player 067 (Kang Sae-byeok): A young North Korean woman looking to raise money for her family.

Player 199 (Ali Abdul): An immigrant struggling to support his family.

Player 218 (Cho Sang-woo): A childhood friend whose ambition leads him to commit questionable acts.

As the game progresses, Gi-hun faces difficult decisions that test his morality. Ultimately, he becomes the sole survivor, winning the 45.6 billion won prize.

After his victory, Gi-hun returns to the real world, but is emotionally traumatized by the events. Although he is now a millionaire, he feels guilty about the deaths of the other participants. He decides not to use the money until he finds a new motivation: to find out who is behind the game and stop them.

In the final scene of the first season, Gi-hun is about to board a plane to join his daughter in the United States, but changes his mind upon realizing that the game is still going on. This suggests that his story as Player 456 is not over yet.

Personal characteristics:

Empathetic: Although his life has been marked by mistakes, Gi-hun shows compassion and solidarity.

Cunning: His wit helps him overcome various challenges in the game.

Determined: Despite fear and despair, he fights to survive and protect others.

Seong Gi-hun is a complex character who represents the struggles of the most vulnerable in an unequal society, becoming a symbol of resistance and hope.