Ji-yeong (Squid Game)

Ji-yeong (Korean: 지영; Korean pronunciation: [tɕi.jʌŋ]), also known as Player 240, is a character in the Netflix series Squid Game. She is one of 456 participants in a series of life-or-death games based on South Korean children's games, with a cash prize of up to 45.6 billion won. She is invited to participate after leaving prison for the murder of her father who abused her and killed her mother, becoming an ally to fellow contestant Kang Sae-byeok / Player 067 during one of the games.

She was created by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, who initially envisioned her as a man before deciding during the writing process that the character would work better as a woman to improve solidarity with Sae-byeok. She was portrayed by Lee Yoo-mi, who worked closely with Sae-byeok's actress Jung Ho-yeon. Lee worked on Squid Game at the same time as the series All of Us Are Dead, requiring her to travel long distances and get into character along the way for both roles.

Ji-yeong received positive reception, particularly for her role in the episode "Gganbu". Her scenes in this episode were considered among the best in the series, with Lee winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her performance, the first ever Korean actress to do so. Her relationship with Sae-byeok also received attention, considered a highlight of the series, and led fans to create shipping content of the two.