A fresh start, really? Use your head. What would we do if one of us gets killed in the game tomorrow? Honey, I know. If I were the one to go, you'd do fine without me. But if anything were to... to happen to you, I don't... Even if I did make it out, I'd have nothing to live for anymore.
Jang Geum-ja to her son in "One More Game"
Jang Geum-ja (장금자 Jang Geum-ja?), also known as Player 149, is the elderly mother of Park Yong-sik who participated in the Squid Game in 2024.
Personality[]
Introduced as an honest and opinionated woman with a fiery temper, she is later shown to be kind and empathetic, displayed by her continually voting to leave after each of the games, comforting Kim Jun-hee about her pregnancy and giving Jun-hee her own food when she noticed she was pregnant. Her top priority is her son, Yong-sik as she states she wouldn't have a reason to live if she were to get out of here without him.
History[]
Backstory[]
Born sometime in the 1940s, Jang Geum-ja survived the Korean War during her childhood. She got married to an unnamed man and had a son named Park Yong-sik. Her marriage was an unfaithful one, however, as her husband had a steady extramarital affair.
Over the years, Geum-ja helped over a dozen pregnant women deliver their babies in her local neighborhood of Bongcheon-dong. Her son Yong-sik continued to live at home with her as an adult and racked up a significant amount of debt due to his gambling habit. Her husband died at some point before October 2024.
A committed mother, Geum-ja joined the Squid Games in hopes of winning enough money to pay off her son Yong-sik's gambling debt.
2024[]
Jang Geum-ja wakes up in the Squid Game Dormitory, alongside the other contestants. There she bumps into her son, Yong-sik and scolds him for joining the Squid Game, telling him that she joined to pay off his debts. Yong-sik assures her that she did not need to go that far for him. The pair advance together, and Geum-ja notices Cho Hyun-ju taking her photo, and is shocked by her son's explanation of transgender people, stating she looks unsightly.
When they play Red Light, Green Light, both mother and son are amongst the people who don't believe Seong Gi-hun's warnings and sneer at him. But once they see Gi-hun is telling the truth, both follow his instructions and survive. During the game Kim Jun-hee experiences stomach pains and grabs onto Geum-ja, however she is understanding and tells Jun-hee to use her for support. After the game, several players accuse Gi-hun of scaring them and being crazy, but Geum-ja alongside other players stick up for Seong Gi-hun, responding to his critics that they are alive thanks to him. When her turn comes, Geum-ja votes for "X" to end the games, when Yong-sik's turn comes, he considers voting for "O", but Geum-ja tells him not to do something idiotic, Yong-sik listens to his mother and votes for "X". She approaches Jun-hee and gives her an egg from her meal, revealing she knows Jun-hee is pregnant and the stomach pains are from purposefully compressing her stomach. She tells Jun-hee to come to her if she needs help with the baby, before Yong-sik appears and takes her away.
During the second game, "Six Legs", Jang Geum-ja teams up with her son and attempts to find other members to join them as well. Being rejected by the previous team because of her, she feels like a burden to her son, but Yong-sik keeps her spirits high. Shortly after, they meet and pair up with Hyun-ju and Kim Young-mi, with Seon-nyeo joining afterward. Discussing a plan for the second game, she points out how Seon-nyeo is a skank who keeps looking down on them and for not cooperating with the team. In the Six-Legged Pentathlon, she plays Gonggi. Whilst her attempt failures initially, Yong-sik exchanges encouragement, the same way she did to him before. Their team successfully passes in the nick of time.
At the dormitory, she curiously questions Hyun-ju about why she doesn't like being stared at when playing the Jegi. Hyun-ju explains her insecurity as her procedures aren't done yet. Initially confused, she empathizes with her. When Gi-hun's team enters back, she exclaims joy and waves at them, with Jung-bae waving back upon seeing them pass, especially Jun-hee. Before the second voting phase starts, she reluctantly and openly invites Young-mi and Hyun-ju to their home to have kimchi and grill pork belly together if they make it out altogether, stating how it's more of a coincidence they all met and how close they've become, even their hometowns being close to each other.
Jang Geum-ja advises her son Yong-sik to not get foolish when before voting, and that with the accumulated prize money, they can combine it to pay off his debt and start a small store. When the voting starts, Yong-sik presses "O", to continue the game, causing Jang Geum-ja to feel betrayed. Greatly upset, her son seeks her forgiveness and understanding, explaining that he can't leave just yet with that accumulated prize money with his mounting debt, stating that they’d harvest his organs if he fails to pay within a month. He insists on continuing and have a fresh start, but Jang Geum-ja points out that if neither of them survives, it wouldn't matter. While it may not matter if she were gone, it would devastate her if it were her son. She also interrogates Hyun-ju about why she chose to continue but doesn't press for an answer, understanding her personal reasons.
Hyun-ju then shares her past, explaining how no one accepted her when she decided to transition, leading to her losing her job, family, and friends. Jang Geum-ja sympathizes with her and asks about her plans after winning the game. Hyun-ju states she'd move to Thailand to finish her transition and live a small, happy life. Yong-sik reassures her and points out that visiting Thailand himself, there are many other people like Hyun-ju there who are beautiful. Hyun-ju happily agrees, with Young-mi adding that she's already beautiful. Jang Geum-ja, states she looks just fine, considering the amount of time they've already spent - Yong-sik then adds how she called her unsightly before, before nearly choking on his milk by his mother for outing her.
During the night, Geum-ja needs the toilet, and reassures her son that she can defend herself, revealing she has a knife hidden in her hairpin. As she gets up, she overhears Jun-hee talking to her ally, Gi-hun, about needing the toilet but having nobody to go with. Geum-ja tells her to join her, and the pair go together. After the guards will not let Jun-hee leave, Geum-ja purposefully makes a fuss and pretends to break down crying to force them. As the door opens, Hyun-ju appears and asks to go to the bathroom as well. Geum-ja reassures the others that Hyun-ju is a woman. After Jun-hee spends an abnormal amount of time in her toilet cubicle, Geum-ja checks on her and finds her sobbing due to her fears for the future and the unlikely survival of her and her baby, Geum-ja hugs Jun-hee and reassures her that it will be alright.
In the third game, "Mingle" Geum-ja sticks with Yong-sik, Hyun-ju and Young-mi, in the first round the number is 10, so they join Gi-hun, Hwang In-ho, Park Jung-bae, Kang Dae-ho and Jun-hee, Hyun-ju grabs Seon-nyeo and the team manage to survive. In the second round the number is 4, Geum-ja, Yong-sik, Hyun-ju and Young-mi decide to go together and abandon Seon-nyeo, enraging her and turning her into their enemy. In the third round the number is 3, Hyun-ju quickly decides to split into pairs and find 1 more person, Geum-ja goes with Yong-sik, but Players 172 and 220 grab Yong-sik and take him with them, Yong-sik tries to break free and go to his mother while she watches in horror, but 172 and 220 drag Yong-sik to Room 15 with them, Geum-ja freezes in horror and resigns herself to dying, but fortunately Gi-hun and In-ho take her with them and all 3 manage to survive. In-ho attempts to provoke Geum-ja by talking about how her son abandons her, but she stands by Yong-sik's moral character. She is relieved to see Hyun-ju and Young-mi survived by the intervention of Park Gyeong-seok, who is nicknamed 'Prince Charming'. Yong-sik is distraught and breaks down upon seeing her, but Geum-ja reassures him that it will be alright and they are both alive. The pair hold hands tightly the fourth round, where the number is 6. Whilst trying to find a room, Young-mi is knocked over by fighting players and is accidentally left behind, Lee Myung-gi runs in and shuts the door. Young-mi is killed, leaving both Geum-ja and Hyun-ju distraught, although Myung-gi points out there was not enough time for her to reach the door, with Jun-hee and Dae-ho defending him. In the fifth round, it is announced that the number is 2, so Yong-sik grabs Geum-ja and they both arrive at a room.
Behind the scenes[]
- Geum-ja is portrayed by Kang Ae-shim.
Appearances[]
- Season Two
- "001"
- "Six Legs"
- "One More Game"
- "O X"
- "Friend or Foe"
Gallery[]
Season Two[]
Season Three[]
Promotional[]
.jpg "149(s2).jpg (33 KB)")
