Naman Shrestha
Season 3 of the Hwang Dong-hyuk creation, ‘Squid Game,’ picks up right after the cliffhanger of the second season. The third season of the Netflix survival thriller series mainly focuses on Seong Gi-hun’s transformation and how he faces the adversities that come his way while his quest for the truth continues. As Gi-hun and other players participate in more life-threatening and cutthroat games, the protagonist must make some critical decisions.
In the meantime, the Front Man, In-ho, is busy tending to the mysterious VIPs while his brother, Jun-ho, is still looking for the island. Both are unaware of the fact that there is a trailer in their midst with the power to turn things around. The powerful and compelling onscreen performances of Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, and Park Gyu-young, help bring the narrative to life. Meanwhile, the different kinds of spaces where the players compete in deadly games continue to add depth to the story and invoke feelings of isolation amidst the players and viewers alike.
Squid Game Season 3 Filming Locations
The third and final installment of ‘Squid Game’ was reportedly filmed across South Korea, especially in Daejeon and on Seongapdo Island. Since the shooting for season 3 was done back-to-back with the sophomore season, the schedule became long and hectic as principal photography got underway in July 2023 and wrapped up after nearly a year in June 2024. Lee Byung-hun, who portrays In-ho in the show, told TheWrap, “If we had waited to shoot Season 3, I think our understanding of our character and the story would have been less deep. But because it was such a long duration of shooting, it was both physically and mentally taxing. We were all very tired by the end of the process.”
Daejeon, South Korea
Following the pattern of the first two seasons, filming for the third season was also carried out in Daejeon, a city situated in a central lowland valley between the Sobaek Mountains and the Geum River in South Korea. The filming team set up camp in the Daejeon Expo Science Park at 480 Daedeok-daero in Daejeon’s Yuseong District. In order to lens the indoor scenes, involving the games and challenges, the cast and crew made the most of Studio Cube, which is located inside the Expo Science Park.
As per reports, the old sets of the inaugural season were destroyed, and new ones were built to tape pivotal sequences for seasons 2 and 3. Home to six medium and large-sized sound stages, Studio Cube is considered the largest film studio in South Korea. It also consists of a special-effects studio with four chroma key walls, an outdoor studio, permanent movie sets of a hospital and a court, and various other amenities that make it an ideal production location for all kinds of projects, including ‘Squid Game.’
Seongapdo Island, South Korea
In order to represent the fictional island in ‘Squid Game’ season 3, the production team traveled to Seongapdo Island. Located in Ongjin County, it is a privately owned island that is not accessible to the public. Most of the scenes involving Hwang Jun-ho were shot on the island, about which the actor Wi Ha-jun had quite a few things to say. In an interview with Deadline, he claimed that taping the island scenes felt natural to him as he was raised on an island. He said, “I grew up on an island and have had a lot of experiences riding boats. My father had a boat because of his sea-based farming business, so it was easy for me to film.” He also revealed that a majority of the scenes were recorded on a set built outdoors, while some of them were also shot out on the sea.
Read More: Squid Game Season 3 Ending Explained: Is Seong Gi-hun Dead?
