Squid Game came back for its third and final season on June 27, pursuing Seong Gi Hun’s endeavor to destroy the killer games. Hwang Dong Hyuk directed the new installments, which unspool the destinies of Gi Hun (Player 456), the Front Man, and the rest of the main cast. There is, however, one specific scene from Episode 2 that has bred hot controversy online — the giving birth of Player 222, played by Jo Yu Ri.
Unrealistic Birth Scene Puzzles Audience
During the contentious scene, Kim Jun Hee (Player 222) suddenly starts labor when the games that threaten her life are still on. With only her companion Geum Ja, an older woman portrayed by Kang Ae Shim, to help her, Jun Hee gives birth in five minutes, with no apparent physical stress or post-labor complications. More and more mystifying to most viewers, she soon disappears after giving birth as if nothing happened.
Viewers on social media site X (formerly Twitter) were quick to slam the scene for being unrealistic. “She literally WALKED OFF childbirth like it was nothing. Her broken ankle received more screen time than the actual birth!” one user posted. Another said, “Who scripted this? No pain, no amniotic fluid, no placenta, and baby is okay with minimal care?”
Director Hwang Dong Hyuk Faces Backlash
Numerous fans accused Hwang Dong Hyuk of not having fundamental medical knowledge. The critics highlighted the lack of important elements of giving birth — no bleeding, no exhaustion, no realistic recovery, and a perfectly healthy-looking baby after minimal care.
In spite of this criticism, Squid Game Season 3 has continued to have a strong international following. That childbirth scene has sparked an even broader debate regarding realism in storytelling — particularly when it comes to sensitively portraying real-life occurrences.
