After Squid Game Season 2, Han So-hee’s Revenge K-Drama From 4 Years Ago Is A Must-Watch

Warning: Spoilers for Squid Game season 2The second season of Squid Game sees chief antagonist the Front Man temporarily hand over supervision of the games to the equally machiavellian Masked Officer, played by Park Hee-soon. The actor is in his element as a complex villain with his own agenda, which is no surprise given his role as crime lord Choi Mu-jin in the acclaimed 2021 K-Drama My Name.

In My Name, Hee-soon stars opposite Korean megastar Han So-hee, whose character Yoon Ji-woo is out to avenge the murder of her father. She goes to Choi Mu-jin for help, but is initially rebutted when he asks her, "Do you know what it's like to kill someone?" In the episodes that follow, Ji-woo’s journey to becoming a killer mirrors the transformation from romantic lead to all-action hero that So-hee undertakes in her best role yet. Park Hee-soon is the perfect person to lead her down this dark path, as he proves in his role as the Masked Officer in Squid Game.

Park Hee-soon’s Squid Game Character Is A Reminder To Check Out My Name

He Plays Another Complex Villain With A Soft Spot For The Female Hero

The Masked Officer first appears in the third episode of Squid Game's second season as the Front Man’s subordinate. However, by episode 4 he’s taken the reins, since the Front Man has entered the game himself. It’s the Masked Officer who receives a radio message from one of the guards attempting to harvest the organs of dead competitors. He’s then shown unmasked and sipping whiskey, just like his boss.

It’s when Hee-soon’s character comes face-to-face with the woman sabotaging his organ harvesting scheme that his previous performance as Choi Mu-jin springs to mind. "When you met me, you said you wanted to find the kid you'd left behind," he tells one of Squid Game's masked guards Kang No-eul, who’s been assigned number 011 in the game. "If I could make that happen you'd do anything." At the same time as he’s blackmailing her, the Masked Officer seems to show genuine concern for No-eul’s situation. He appeals to her human side, even going as far as trying to persuade her that what he’s doing is for a good cause, telling her, "All we're doing is using their organs to help save others."

Likewise, in My Name, Hee-soon’s gangster Mu-jin agrees to help its main protagonist, Ji-woo, find her father’s killer, as long as she does what he says. "Do you have to get revenge, regardless of the price you pay?" he asks her in the show. Again, this villainappears to care about his female adversary’s well-being, telling her to "stop acting out and lie low, or you'll die on the streets."

My Name Is One Of Netflix’s Best Original K-Dramas (Especially For Han So-hee Fans)

It Combines The Emotional Punch Of Her Other Work With Dazzling Action Set Pieces

Han so-hee provides a great boost to the series, but it’s the role of Ji-woo that really springs a surprise in My Name, though. In the course of the series, we see Han So-hee’s character learning to perfect swashbuckling martial arts moves under Mu-jin’s tutelage, just as the young actor had to learn to do for the role in real life. What’s more, Ji-woo doubles up as an undercover cop, before managing to finish off her nemesis after three climactic hand-to-hand combat sequences of epic proportions, including a fight with the entire Dongcheon gang.

For fans of So-hee’s other work, there’s plenty of romance in her role, too, as her character falls for young police officer Pil-do only for tragedy to befall them in the penultimate episode. Yet overall, So-hee's performance goes far beyond that of a typical romantic K-drama, and is a major reason for My Name's 100% rating from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

Why You Should Watch My Name After Squid Game Season 2

The Series Provides More Of What’s Most Intriguing About The Masked Officer

Ji-woo in My Name with cuts all over her face — My Name Ji-woo

Although Park Hee-soon as Masked Officer is a great addition to Squid Game’s cast and characters in season 2, his actual screen time is very limited. He only plays a significant role in episode 4, and we don’t learn much about his backstory or the extent of his relationship with No-eul, which leaves us wanting more.

That’s why My Name is the next series to go for if you enjoyed Hee-soon's performance in Squid Game. Throughout the drama’s eight episodes, the emotional vulnerabilities of a cold, calculating killer are laid bare. "You're a lot like me," Mu-jin tells So-hee’s character Ji-woo in the show’s final moments. But she’s not nearly as similar to him as the Masked Officer.