Squid Game: 10 Ways Sang-Woo Ruined His Likability - CBR

Since its release, the Korean survival drama Squid Game has won over millions of worldwide fans, unexpectedly bypassing cultural boundaries to become the most popular Netflix series in history. Turning childhood games into something deadly added a surprisingly grotesque element, but in the end, that was not the sole reason viewers found the series so binge-worthy. The characters are a huge part of Squid Game's appeal, with some being more popular than others.

Cho Sang-woo is one of the most realistic figures in the show. His motivations and actions make sense if viewed from the perspective of a desperate man with nothing to lose. While he makes a lot of mistakes, he originally displays a compassionate heart and even bonds with both Seong Gi-hun and Abdul Ali. But the allure of the money is more powerful, and Sang-woo turns into a hateful character within the span of a few episodes.

Updated on February 14, 2025, by Ajay Aravind: Cho Sang-woo's journey from quasi-hero to full-blown villain is simultaneously one of the most shocking as well as the most expected character transformations in Squid Game. Inhabiting the fine line between surprise and doubt, Sang-woo has committed numerous actions that have caused him to be disliked by the fandom. As such, we have updated this article with five more entries.

15 Sang-Woo's Reason for Participation Isn't the Most Sympathetic

He Might Just Want to Be Rich Again

Image via Netflix

All the players in the Squid Game have a similar reason to be there – they are in desperate need of money. Even so, some have more sympathetic stories than others. Kang Sae-byeok, for example, originally hails from North Korea and seeks to reunite what is left of her family. Ali Abdul's tale is similar. Despite being a hard worker, he isn't paid by his Korean employer, and the conflict between the two forces Ali to separate from his wife and child.

Cho Sang-woo, on the other hand, is wanted by the police for financial crimes. He was relatively well-to-do before his illegal habits caused his downfall and left him with devastating debt, which made him less likable than characters like Gi-hun, who never got the chance to be rich in the first place. It sometimes feels like Sang-woo just wants to taste luxury again, rather than helping his mother or recovering his honor.

Related

The Perfect Squid Game Replacement Sets Release Window With First Look

The underrated series serves as the perfect Squid Game replacement.

Posts By Monica Coman

14 Sang-woo Lost His Money by Stealing from Clients

It's Possible His Clients Might Have Been Poor or Elderly

Image via Netflix

As an investment banker working at the fictional Joy Investments company, Sang-woo steals money from his clients and uses it for his own benefit in the stock market. His investments fail, and he is burdened by a huge debt. In fact, the organizers of the Squid Games mistakenly believe his debt to be in the range of 650 million Won, but he later reveals it to be ten times higher.

What isn't mentioned, and what could easily be true given the impact of financial scams on the poor and elderly, is that Sang-woo might have stolen every Won from certain clients' savings. This would presumably mean reducing them to poverty, yet another moral stain on Sang-woo's already blemished character. On the other hand, only stealing from wealthy clients would also be unethical, even if it's infinitely more acceptable than impoverishing people.

13 Sang-woo Sets His Mother's Business & Home as Collateral

She Would Have Lost Everything Without Gi-hun

Image via Netflix

Sang-woo's financial crimes are a big mistake, but he doesn't stop there. He doesn't just get himself in trouble. He involves his mother as well, setting her business and house as collateral for his investments. Sang-woo's mother runs a tiny store selling fish, the loss of which would almost certainly leave her destitute and on the streets. As she's also one of the most lovable characters in Squid Game, fans hate Sang-woo even more for doing this to her.

In the end, however, this is the true reason for his participation in the games. While his own imminent arrest undoubtedly scares him, even to the point of taking his own life before being recalled to the games, it's his mother's situation that worries him more. Sang-woo's concern for her makes him far less hateable than he would have otherwise been, but the fact remains that he does endanger her livelihood.

12 Sang-woo's Background Makes Him Somewhat Irritating

Even If He's Never the One to Point It Out

Image via Netflix

One of the recurring motifs of the show is the fact that many people who know Sang-woo – such as his mother or Gi-hun – value his accomplishments and often boast about them. He is the pride of his neighborhood, due to having graduated with honors from Seoul National University, admittedly one of the highest-ranked educational institutions in the world.

Considering his disastrously failed investments, the constant comments come off as irritating and don't really do anything to help improve Sang-woo's character in the eyes of the audience. He may not be the one to point out his educational background, but viewers can't help but wonder how someone so intelligent managed to land himself in such a huge problem. Then again, that's probably the point of Squid Game.

11 Sang-woo Voted to Keep the Squid Games Going

Although He Had Called for the Vote Himself

Image via Netflix

Immediately after playing Red Light, Green Light and watching over two hundred people meet bloody ends, a huge number of players wanted to leave the Squid Games. The potential riot was quelled by the guards, who threatened to kill anyone unwilling to continue. At this point, Sang-woo chimed in with the consent form's third clause, arguing that a vote was permitted within the rules of the Squid Games.

As long as a simple majority of players voted to quit the game, everyone would have to leave (with their lives intact). Sang-woo was more than prepared to exit until the guards revealed that every player had been assigned a 100-million Won value. He also learned that the total prize money would exceed 45 billion Won, or nearly $40 million. This presumably changed Sang-woo's mind, causing him to vote for a continuation in one of Squid Game's most shocking twists.

Related

Did Thanos Die in Squid Game?

What happened to the secondary villain Thanos from Squid Game season 2?

Posts 1 By Ben Morganti

10 Sang-woo Hides His Knowledge of the Dalgona Game

He Doesn't Even Tell His Childhood Friend Gi-hun

At the beginning of the game, Sang-woo is a generally affable character who actually wants his friend to survive. He helps Gi-hun during the Red Light, Green Light stage, and it is because of him and Ali that Gi-hun survives. The very next game changes that completely. Before the dalgona game, Sang-woo learns from Sae-Byeok that the Squid Games' staff members had been melting sugar. He guesses the challenge correctly but doesn't tell anyone about it.

Instead, he suggests they split up and he takes one of the easiest symbols for himself. Even after Gi-hun decides to pick the umbrella – which could have easily been a death sentence if he hadn't realized to lick the back of the candy – Sang-woo fails to tell his friend the truth. He seems relieved when Gi-hun survives, but his actions don't really match that attitude.

9 Sang-woo Is Casually Dismissive of Female Participants

His Misogyny Makes Him Seem Less Intelligent

Image via Netflix

One of the harshest realities of the Squid Games is that they can favor competitors with high physical strength. That means the odds are stacked against the female participants of the game, given relative physical differences. Even so, many of the women in Squid Game prove their worth in their own way. For example, Han Mi-nyeo may be a polarizing character, but her use of a lighter gives her an excellent win in the dalgona game.

Without her, the villainous Jang Deong-su would have likely not survived. The moment when she enacts her revenge on him is very satisfying, even if it leads to her death. The potential of female competitors goes ignored, and women are only seen as liabilities. Sang-woo in particular is incredibly dismissive of female participants. He's not the only one who acts like this, and in a way, his behavior does make sense. That doesn't mean the inherent sexism of the situation – and of Sang-woo's behavior – isn't a bitter pill to swallow, though.

8 Sang-woo Falsely Accuses Ali Abdul of Cheating

Sang-woo Nearly Gets into a Physical Fight

Image via Netflix

Season 1, Episode 6, "Gganbu" demolishes the cast along with the hearts of the viewers. As players split into teams of two, they are forced to fight each other in games involving marbles. Their purpose is to win each other's marbles, all the while knowing that the loser will be eliminated. At first unaware of what the task will involve, Sang-woo teams up with his budding new friend Ali. After the game begins, however, all bets are off.

CBR Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters

Our main newsletter packed with the latest updates, reviews and buzz from the worlds of movies, TV, anime, comics, and beyond. Get ready and let's dive in! Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Despite Ali not knowing how to play Korean children's games, he somehow manages to acquire an advantage after Sang-woo teaches him. When the Marble Game nearly ends in Ali's favor, Sang-woo starts blaming Ali for cheating, only to become even more aggressive when Ali denies the accusation. It was thanks to a random guard that Ali was saved from Sang-woo's violence, but even this horrible scene paled in comparison to what he did next.

7 Sang-woo Manipulates Ali & Causes His Death

He Probably Felt the Pain of Losing Ali, Though

With only one marble left in his hand, Sang-woo tries to invoke Ali's pity, claiming that he needs the winnings for his mother. He seems to forget that Ali has his own family to take care of until reminded. At this point, Sang-woo switches gears and goes for a purely deceptive tactic, convincing the overly trusting Ali that they can rely on other players and somehow survive. At the same time, he steals Ali's marbles while pretending to protect them.

Ali innocently believes his hyung-nim, the Korean term for "big brother" that he had just started using for Sung-woo, and leaves the scene with a bag filled with stones. Sang-woo had knowingly sent Ali to his extremely saddening death, dooming one of the most likable Squid Game characters. This was a deep betrayal that even Sang-woo must have felt, as he had obviously begun caring for Ali. That said, the sadness in his heart couldn't compare to the rage that viewers felt for Sang-woo.

Related

Squid Game Season 3 Sets Release Date on Netflix (& It's the One You Think)

The games will end soon.

Posts By Monica Coman

6 Sang-woo Emotionally Distanced Himself from Others

He Wanted to Remain Cold and Dispassionate

Image via Netflix

The main reason that Sang-woo refused to divulge the dalgona game to Gi-hun and the others didn't come from a place of malice, although it certainly counts as an abhorrent act. In reality, he wanted to finish the Squid Games without developing any strong emotional connections to the other contestants, which caused him to keep the truth from Gi-hun.

Sang-woo might have bonded with Ali, but this was largely a response to his traumatic circumstances and Ali's presence being a mood-soother. More importantly, it was clearly shown that Sang-woo tried to keep his distance from Ali but couldn't help feeling protective of the younger man. Near the end, however, Sang-woo had successfully cut himself off from all emotional contact, a severance so strong that it made him practically inhuman.