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'Squid Game' stars say show explores 'true human nature'

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The stars of Squid Game say the hit new series explores the dark side of human nature.

Cast members Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-Joon and Jung Ho-yeon discussed the Netflix survival drama during Wednesday's episode of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.

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Squid Game, a South Korean series written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, follows a group of people with outstanding debts who play a series of children's games with a deadly twist in pursuit of a cash prize.

"It's a story about all those people coming together each with their own pain and struggles and each must win the first prize in this game no matter what, putting their lives on the line to become the winner," Lee said.

Contestants include Gi-hun (Lee), a gambling addict struggling to support his daughter, Sang-woo (Park), a former gifted student now wanted for stealing money from clients, and San-byeok (Jung), a North Korean defector.

Wi said he believes part of the show's appeal is the Korean children's games the contestants play in the series.

"That can be very original, refreshing and also shocking at the same time to the global viewers," he said. "I also feel like we did a good job expressing the true human nature of raw greed and human nature that took place inside the games."

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Squid Game premiered in September. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said last week that the show is on its way to become the service's most-watched series in any language.

On The Tonight Show, the Squid Game stars also played schoolyard games, including slapsies and egg and spoon races.

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