It has been reported that two female stars have been added to the cast of season 2 of Netflix's popular series Squid Game. On Friday, June 23, reports claimed that Park Gyu-young and former IZ*ONE member Jo Yuri will star in the upcoming season, reports aceshowbiz.com. Gyu-young allegedly is set to play a female lead role in the highly anticipated second season, while there's no word on Yuri's character. Netflix, however, has yet to officially confirm the reports. A source from Netflix Korea, meanwhile, responded to the rumours with a rather vague comment. Squid Game Season 2: Im Si-wan Joins Lee Jung Jae And Lee Byung Hun to Play the Leads - Reports.

"We ask for your understanding that we cannot currently confirm whether Jo Yuri and Park Gyu-young will appear in Squid Game 2," the source stated. Representatives of Yuri's agency WAKEONE Entertainment and Gyu-young's agency Saram Entertainment also echoed the sentiment. "It is information we cannot confirm. We ask for your understanding", they said. Gyu-young's credits include It's Okay to Not Be Okay, A Good Day to Be a Dog and Dali & Cocky Prince among others.  She will also appear in Netflix's series Celebrity. As for Yuri, she received high praise for her stellar acting skills after she made a special appearance on Work Later, Drink Now 2.  

Should the rumour be true, Gyu-young and Yuri will join the newly-announced cast members Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon and Yang Dong Geun. Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon and Gong Yoo will be returning for the sophomore season of the popular show. Following the announcement of the additional cast members, fans criticised Netflix for the lack of female characters. The streaming giant, however, assured that more cast members would be introduced, saying: "This was the first cast announcement for 'Squid Game' season two. We're excited to share more casting news soon, which will include the leading female characters."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 24, 2023 08:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).