Song Ki Hoon

Age: 50 years old (born October 31, 1974). Height: 180 centimeters. Eye color: brown. Place of birth: Ssanmun-dong District, Seoul, South Korea. Date of death: November 6, 2024. Appearance In the second season, Song Ki-hoon returns to his natural black hair color. In the season one finale, he dyed his hair red, symbolizing the rage he pent up during the games. Character and personality changes A more mature, serious, insightful and thrifty person compared to the first season. Determination and focus. Ki Hoon becomes more determined to achieve his goals and more meticulous in his surroundings. Cautious and analytical behavior. He becomes more cautious with others. The desire to save as many game participants as possible, and not just members of your own team. Some shortcomings remain: ignorant and reckless nature. A sense of justice that sometimes leads to negative consequences. His ideas about justice are contradictory: for example, before a special game, he declared that no one on his team should be sacrificed, while during the uprising, he argued that it was inevitable to sacrifice a few for the survival of the many. Humanity as a Value. Despite participating in games that trampled his ideals (he saw people for whom human life had no meaning), Ki-hoon did not lose his humanity. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk described Ki-hoon as a "very human" character who, despite his altruistic and righteous nature, is full of flaws and often faces failures. Thus, in the second season, Song Ki-hoon emerges as a man who has experienced trauma and reassessed his values. His character becomes more mature, determined, and focused on fighting for justice.

and he rejected the offer, which surprised In Ho.

In the final game of squid, near the climax, in the first round, Ki-hoon is targeted by Im Jong-dae, unaware that he has switched to Min-soo, resulting in the latter's death. In the second round, Ki-hoon learns that Lee Myung-gi, player number 333, is the child's father, and he and his fellow finalists fight Im Jong-dae and the other players, using the knife given to him by In-ho to protect the child. In the third and final round, he engages in a fierce battle with Myung-gi and emerges victorious. Both fall from the platform, but Ki-hoon manages to hold on, while Myung-gi falls to his death. However, upon regaining consciousness, Ki-hoon realizes that they both forgot to press the button that would have started the game, meaning Myung-gi's death was in vain. The VIP guests mistakenly believe he has won, as the last player to leave was Joon-hee's youngest daughter. However, he decides to jump off the platform to fulfill his promise to Joon-hee. In his final words, he declares that the players are people, not horses, and leaps from the platform, saving the child and refuting In-ho's cynical philosophy. His self-sacrifice stuns the VIPs and inspires No-eul, who was close to suicide after killing the Masked Officer and learning the whereabouts of her husband and child, to move on. In-ho saves the child and leaves as bombs detonate on the island, thus fulfilling Ki-hoon's wish to destroy the Squid Game and saving the child and, indirectly, Kyung-seok, whom No-eul saved from the Masked Officer after the uprising.

Six months after his death, in May 2025, In-ho meets with Ki-hoon's daughter, Song Ga-young, in Los Angeles, where he gives her a black box with the games' logo, which contains the bloody uniform of player 456 and a debit card containing the remainder of Ki-hoon's winnings from the first game.

But he is stopped by her followers, who handcuff him. During the fourth game of Hide and Seek, still in shock, he becomes the "seeker" and kills Dae-ho for causing the rebellion to fail, but later realizes that his own mistake also led to the failure. He nearly commits suicide, but is stopped by the guards. At his lowest point, Geum-ja asks Ki-hoon to protect Jung-hee and her newborn child, who was born during the fourth game. At first, he refuses, but after witnessing Geum-jae's suicide, which was caused by guilt and shame over the murder of her son, he regains his resolve. He was still not allowed to vote, so the next game continued. In the fifth game, Ki-hoon and several other players witnessed Nam-gyu's death and forced themselves to continue with the child in their arms. He easily crossed the bridge with a child while jumping rope, encouraging the others to keep going. While he was helping the others, another player attempted to kill them by pushing them off the cliff so he and Gihoon could win the money, but Gihoon stopped him, and a fight ensued. Gihoon gouged out his eye and threw him off the cliff. As the other players passed by, time was running out, and they tried to save Chunghee, but they were unable to, and she sacrificed herself due to her injuries and the time limit.

After the VIP players assigned the child Joon-hee's number, most of the remaining players began plotting to get rid of the newcomer and increase the prize pool. The final game continued, and only Ki-hoon and Park Min-soo voted to end it. Hwang In-ho, who introduces himself to Ki-hoon as "Face," suggests killing the other players while they sleep to ensure the safety of himself and the child, using the same knife with which Oh Il-nam made the same offer. Ki-hoon succumbed to temptation, but was stopped by a vision of Kang Sae-byuk, who reminded him that he wanted to be different.

Due to players switching sides, especially Park Min-soo, the vote ends in a tie and has to be re-run the next day. After a bathroom brawl involving Teams X and O, which results in Thanos's death, Ki-hoon realizes the game is rigged for players to kill each other and warns his group to hide until soldiers enter to steal their weapons and seize the facility. Team O, led by Nam-gyu, stage a mutiny to avenge Thanos. Ki-hoon and the others hide while Teams O and Y fight each other.

After the riot is suppressed, the guards dispatched by the Masked Officer to finish the job feign death to lull the group members into a false sense of security, steal their weapons, and then kill them. Ki-hoon, Jong-bae, Dae-ho, Hyun-joo, Kyung-seok, and the others who joined the rebellion gather weapons and ammunition and flee the dorm room, leaving a hostage behind to guide them. He and Jong-bae proceed to the command post, where the Masked Officer awaits them, while the others deal with the soldiers, fighting them along the way. In-ho eventually takes two men with him to ambush the soldiers and assist Ki-hoon and Jong-bae, but ultimately kills them and fakes the death of "Yong-il" by contacting Ki-hoon via radio. Ki-hoon and Jong-bae surrender, and In-ho, disguised as the leader, along with several guards and a masked officer, executes Jong-bae. The soldiers restrain the terrified Ki-hoon, and the battle is over.

The Squid Game Season 3 edit In the third season, Ki-hoon is brought to the dorm in a coffin, where he awakens to find the players staring at him. His friends console him, and Jo Hyun-joo asks where Jong-bae is. Ki-hoon struggles to cope with the trauma of the failed riot and asks the soldiers to shoot him, but he is pinned to his bed and prevented from voting. Im Jung-dae and the others then accuse him of inciting the riot. When Song-nyeo taunts him, Ki-hoon attempts to kill her.

A North Korean defector and participant in the "Squid Game." The players watch the ceiling close in, and Ki-hoon fails to find No-eul in time.

This time, after each game, all participants vote to stay or leave. Those leaving put a cross, while those staying put a check. During the vote, Ki-hoon loudly declares that he's participated in similar games before, which evokes skepticism. Then, Im Jong-dae and Thanos approach Ki-hoon, asking how he manages to win and asking for advice. By a narrow margin, the players decide to stay after Player 001—Hwang In-ho, the true identity of Frontman, who infiltrated the game as an agent to thwart Ki-hoon's plans—votes to stay. Many players want him to participate in the next game, but Ki-hoon is unsure if it will be the same game—Dalgona. When Team Oh, Im Jong-dae and In-ho, encounter Ki-hoon, he gains In-ho's trust after fighting Thanos and Nam-gyu and saving Lee Myung-gi. In the next game, Jong-dae and Team Oh discover it's a different game than "Dalgona." Afterward, Ki-hoon is insulted by everyone who opposes him. The players are ordered to split into groups of five. Ki-hoon's group consists of himself, Jong-bae, a former marine named Kang Dae-ho, a pregnant woman named Kim Jun-hee, and In-ho (who calls himself "Oh Yeon-il"). Their feet are tied and placed next to each other. Each player must play one of five games, reach the finish line, and cross the finish line. Another vote is held, and a significant majority of the players vote to stay, including Jong-bae, who had previously voted to leave. They participate in the third game, "Mixed," where Ki-hoon and his friends team up with Hyun-joo, Jang Geum-ja, Park Yong-sik, Kim Yong-mi, and Park Kyung-suk. In the first round, Sunnyo reminds him of the previous games and that he was the only survivor. After Yeon-mi's death and the end of "Mixed," the players held another vote.

He states his intention to return to the game and end it once and for all, as well as find the Leader, but decides not to board the plane.

The Squid Game Season 2 edit In the second season, set three years later, Ki-hoon pays off his former loan sharks, while Choi Woo-seok and Kim Jong-rae track down a recruiter from the games, eventually finding him in a seedy hotel room. The recruiter challenges Ki-hoon to a game of Russian roulette, and the two begin blaming each other. The recruiter challenges him to pull the trigger twice, claiming he's a "dummy." Ki-hoon pulls the trigger himself, challenging the recruiter to the same challenge, who ultimately shoots himself. Ki-hoon then teams up with Hwang Joon-ho and the mercenaries. He and the others plan to track down the Leader, who has a false tooth with a tracking device. He's invited into a limo, where he asks to be placed in the game so he can destroy it. The protagonist agreed and became Player 456 again. When he wakes up with the other players, a shaman named Sunnyo approaches him and tells him the fate of the previous players. He learns of a new rule: now after each game, players vote to stay or leave, and that his friend Park Jongbae has joined the game and told him to stay close. During the game Red Light, Green Light, he discovers that the tracking device has been removed, preventing his allies from finding him. He explains to the other players what will happen if they lose and warns them when to freeze. The remaining players only realize the consequences after the first player dies. Then, Ki-hoon orders the players to line up, with the tallest ones in front. Thanos pushes the players away, and Ki-hoon and the others are forced to run to the finish line because time is almost up. He crosses the finish line but notices a wounded player asking for help. He and Jo Hyun Joo help him cross the finish line, but he is still killed by Kang No Eul,

and he remembers how his colleague was killed by the police during a strike.

In the fourth game, they are asked to team up with another player. Ki-hoon chooses an old man as his partner. They then learn that the goal of the game is to win marbles from the opponent. Ki-hoon is unlucky, but begins to lie to win. He learns that the old man knew about his deception but allowed him to win anyway, calling himself Oh Il-nam and thanking him for helping him have fun before his execution. During the next game, which involves stepping over glass steps, Ki-hoon is horrified to see Sang-woo kill a man to survive, and learns that Sae-byuk was injured during the game. Only the three of them remain alive. Sae-byuk stops Ki-hoon from killing Sang-woo, and each of them promises to take care of the other's family if the other dies. Sang-woo ultimately kills her to prevent her and Ki-hoon from voting to leave the game, and in the final game, they fight to the death. Sang Woo loses, but Ki Hoon asks for an opportunity to leave the game, not wanting to kill him, and Sang Woo commits suicide so that Ki Hoon will win the money by default.

Ki-hoon receives money from Front Man and returns home, where he learns his mother has died and is unable to spend the money due to guilt. He later receives an invitation card from Il-nam, who reveals that he is the organizer of the "Squid Game" and wants to relieve the boredom of his wealth. Il-nam challenges Ki-hoon to a bet on whether they will save a drunk lying in the snow, but Ki-hoon wins, and Il-nam dies. Some time later, Ki-hoon changes his appearance, dyeing his hair red. He then picks up Sae-byuk's brother from the orphanage and brings him to Sang-woo's mother along with part of the prize money. On his way to catch a plane to see his daughter, he spots the same man in a suit from the train station with another man and gives chase. The man in the suit disappears, but he takes the business card from the person who received it and calls the number provided.

Ultimately, Gihoon wins, receiving money and an invitation to participate in the "Squid Game." He becomes player number 456 out of 456 and meets various people, including an old man, a pickpocket, and his childhood friend Jo Sang-woo. The players participate in a game of "Red Light, Green Light," where losing means death. He nearly falls, but is caught by Ali Abdul, who crosses the finish line with Gihoon. It is then revealed that the winner of all six games will receive a cash prize of up to 45.6 billion won, but most of the players, including Gihoon, vote to quit the game. Returning home, he visits a convenience store with Ilnam, and later, Jongbae comes to him for the money. He then reports the incident to the police, but they don't believe him. Police detective Hwang Joon-ho questions him about the games, as his brother had a card similar to the one given to Ki-hoon when he was told about the games, and it went missing. Ki-hoon refuses to help Joon-ho with the case. He learns that his mother is in the hospital and cannot get treatment. He tries to borrow money from his ex-wife, but learns that she and her daughter are moving to the United States. Desperate for money and with no other options, he returns to the "Squid Game."

The second game involves choosing a piece. Ki-hoon chose an umbrella, only to learn later that it had to be removed from a flat snack. He eventually won by licking it. Meanwhile, it turns out that killing is allowed during breaks, and a gangster named Jang Deok-soo and his allies massacre the other players. He rescues a pickpocket and learns that her name is Kang Sae-byuk. The lights come back on, and the killing stops. They then play tug-of-war: Ki-hoon teams up with Sae-byuk, the old man, Ali, Sang-woo, and five other players. Having won thanks to the old man's advice, they lock themselves in for the night, take turns keeping watch, and try to intimidate Deok-soo into not attacking. That night, he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ki-hoon, a former chauffeur and avid gambler, divorced and entered a secret life-or-death competition consisting of six children's games. He competes against 455 other players for a cash prize of up to 45.6 billion won after falling into debt through gambling and losing his job. During his time on the show, he forges alliances with other contestants, including Ali Abdul, Jo Sang-woo, Kang Sae-byuk, and Oh Il-nam, and feuds with Jang Deok-soo, Byung-gi, the Recruiter, and, indirectly, Hwang In-ho. After his upset victory in the first season, he returned as a contestant in the second and third seasons to try to complete the games. He forms alliances with other members, including Kang Dae-ho, Park Jung-bae, Park Yong-sik, Jo Hyun-joo, Jang Geum-ja, Kim Joon-hee, Park Kyung-suk, and Hwang In-ho, and feuds with Im Jung-dae, Thanos, Sunnyo, Kim Young-sam, as well as Masked Officer and Kang No-eul.

In the first season, Ki-hoon was well received by viewers, and Lee won numerous awards for his performance, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy. Critics drew parallels between his life and real-life issues in South Korea, including the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In the second and third seasons, his character attracted more controversy, with critics finding his actions irritating and pointless. Despite the criticism, Lee was praised for his ability to portray a lighthearted character in both the second and third seasons, as well as a darker one.

Appearances edit The Squid Game Season 1 edit Son Ki-hoon first appeared in the first season as the main character. He steals money from his mother to gamble with Park Jung-bae and win a birthday present for his daughter. However, he loses all the money when a woman picks his pockets while he's on the run from loan sharks led by Kim Jung-rae. Later, at the train station, he's approached by a man in a suit who offers Ki-hoon 100,000 won if he can beat him at dakchi.

Player No. 456 (33rd and 37th) Real name Song Ki-hoon Nicknames Player 456 Number 16 (in the Glass Bridge game) Four Five Six (From VIPs in Season 3) Song Ki Hoon from Ssangmundong Ssangmundong (from Ali Abdul and Jang Deok-soo) The Meanie from Ssangmundong (by Park Jung-bae) The Ungrateful Loafer (by Park Jung Bae) Baby (오빠) (from Han Mi Nyeo) Mister (아저씨) (from Kang Chul, Kang Sae Byuk, Jang Geum Ja and Kim Joong Hee) Kganbu (from Oh Il Nam) Psycho (by Im Jung Dae) Mr. Dream Mr. 456 (by Kang Dae Ho) Mr. Song Ki Hoon (from Hwang In Ho) Seong Gi-hun (the name on his bank card) Goonie (from Oh Il Nam) Prophetic Dream (by Hwang In-ho) Employment Automotive manufacturer employee (formerly) Chauffeur (formerly) Player of the 33rd game in Kalmar (formerly) Player of the 37th game of Kalmar (Seasons 2 and 3)

Affiliation Song Ki Hoon's team Team 4 Team X Red Team

Biography Relatives Oh Mal Sun † (mother) Song Ka Young (daughter) Kang Eun Ji (ex-wife) Song Ka Young's stepfather (enemy) Cho Sang Woo † (Childhood best friend/briefly turned enemy) Hwang In Ho (archenemy/former close friend) Park Jung Bae † (best friend) Kang Sae Byuk † (close friend) Ali Abdul † (friend and savior) Oh Il Nam † (enemy; former close friend) Jang Deok-soo † (enemy) Kim Jun Hee † (close friend) Kang Dae Ho † (enemy/victim, former friend) Cho Hyun Joo † (ally) Jang Geum Ja † (friend) Kim Yeon Mi † (Situational Ally) Park Young-sik † (ally) Im Jung Dae † (main enemy) Song Nyeo † (enemy) Kim Young Sam † (enemy) Lee Myung-gi † (archenemy; savior and rival) Kim Jun Hee's child (protected) Kim Jong-rae † (ally; former enemy) Choi Woo Seok (ally) Hwang Joon-ho (ally) Recruiter † (enemy) Kim (employer; ally) Dentist (doctor; ally) Date of birth October 31, 1974 (50 years old) Place of birth South Korea Ssanmundong, Seoul, Republic of Korea Fate Status Dead Date of death November 6, 2024 Playing Sky Squid