The third season of Squid Game has sparked huge conversations. Not only because of its new and macabre games, but also for the emotional closure of several storylines, including one that many believed forgotten: the story of little Kang Cheol, a character whose reappearance in the final scenes triggered a significant increase in Google searches. The most searched terms range from “Squid Game 3 ending explained”, to “Squid Game prize in Mexican pesos”, and even “who is the actress in the final scene”. But without a doubt, one of the biggest mysteries intriguing fans is: Who is Cheol in Squid Game 3?
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Who is Cheol in the Squid Game 3 ending?
To understand Cheol’s relevance in the Squid Game ending, we must go back to the first season. Kang Cheol is the younger brother of Kang Sae-byeok, better known as Player 067, the young North Korean defector who moved audiences with her fight to reunite her family.
After the tragic death of Sae-byeok in the first season, her brother Cheol was left in the care of Cho Sang-woo’s mother, as part of the promise that Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) made to his fallen friend. However, his fate was left open… until now.
In the emotional final scene of Squid Game 3, Cheol, now eleven years old, appears at the airport, where he finally reunites with his parents. Thus, Sae-byeok’s final and deepest wish comes true: reuniting her family in South Korea.
Who plays Kang Cheol in Squid Game?
The role of Cheol is played by young South Korean actor Park Si-wan, who had already portrayed the character as an orphaned child in the first season. Although his appearance in the third season is brief, it has been enough to spark trends and questions on social media about his identity and his role in the series.
His participation is especially significant, as it represents the emotional closure of one of the most beloved characters in Squid Game.
What is the story of Kang Cheol and his family?
Cheol and his sister Sae-byeok’s story is tragic from the start. Both managed to escape North Korea after losing their father during a failed escape attempt. Their mother was deported back to North Korea by Chinese authorities, and Sae-byeok had to survive alone in South Korea, while her brother remained in an orphanage.
Desperate to reunite her family, Sae-byeok entered Squid Game, where she lost her life. However, her sacrifice and that of other characters allowed Cheol to finally reunite with his mother and father years later, closing a painful family chapter.
How does Squid Game 3 end on Netflix?
The final season of Squid Game begins right after the brutal rebellion of the second season, which ends with the execution of Gi-hun’s friend at the hands of the game leader, who infiltrates as a player.
With only 60 participants remaining, the ruthless hide-and-seek game begins, leading to the death of Hyun-ju, the trans player, and Seon-nyeo, the loud shaman player 044. It also marks the tragic fate of a mother who, to protect her friend and her newborn baby, kills her own son.
Later, only 25 players advance to the tug-of-war game, where extreme physical conditions claim more victims, including the new mother, who, unable to compete, chooses to throw herself into the void.
Finally, only nine participants face the feared Squid Game at Heights, where they must cross three towers, eliminating at least one person in each to advance. In the climax, only Gi-hun, the baby’s father, and the baby survive. In an act of sacrifice, 456 chooses to take his own life so the baby is proclaimed the winner.
What happened to the other characters at the end of Squid Game 3?
The series dedicates a lengthy epilogue to show the fate of key characters:
- The police officer, brother of the leader, manages to reach the island just as the organizers flee, witnessing his brother taking the winning baby without having the courage to stop him.
- The North Korean defector Kang No-eul, infiltrated among the guards, escapes alive and embarks on the search for her missing daughter after exposing the organ trafficking network behind the games.
- The reunion of Kang Sae-byeok’s mother, participant of the first season, with her young son is made possible by a mysterious benefactor.
- In Los Angeles, 456’s daughter, Seong Ga-yeong, receives her father’s uniform and a bank card from the leader, containing the remaining prize money he won in the first season.
