You probably noticed her immediately. Amidst the neon tracksuits and the chaotic desperation of Season 2, Player 380 stood out with a certain "don't mess with me" energy. Her name is Se-mi, and if you’ve been scouring the internet trying to figure out why she looks so familiar, you aren't alone.
Honestly, she’s one of those characters who feels like she walked straight out of a gritty indie film into the world’s most dangerous playground.
Who is the Se-mi Actor in Squid Game?
The actress behind the mullet and the lip piercing is Won Ji-an.
Born as Kim In-seon on August 17, 1999, she’s been a rising star in the K-drama world for a few years now. But Squid Game Season 2 basically catapulted her into a different stratosphere of fame. You’ve maybe seen her before in D.P. on Netflix—she played Moon Young-ok and was actually a huge standout there, too.
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She also led the vampire rom-com Heartbeat and the gritty teen drama Hope or Dope. She’s got this specific vibe: tough on the outside, but you can see the wheels turning behind her eyes. In Squid Game, she plays Se-mi (Player 380), a woman who basically decides that if she’s going to die, she’s going to do it on her own terms.
What Most People Get Wrong About Se-mi's Role
A lot of fans online keep comparing her to Sae-byeok (Player 067) from Season 1. It's an easy trap to fall into. They both have that "loner" aesthetic. But Se-mi is actually a completely different beast.
While Sae-byeok was driven by a desperate need to save her family, Se-mi is much more of a strategist—and a bit of a cynic. She purposefully aligns herself with "Thanos" (played by T.O.P) and Nam-gyu because she thinks she can outsmart them. She basically views the "drug-upped idiots," as some fans call them, as shields.
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Why she’s actually important:
- The Minsu Connection: Her friendship with Park Min-su (Player 125) is the emotional anchor for her arc. She’s protective of him in a way that feels genuine, even when everything else about her feels calculated.
- The "Outside" Fear: There's a scene where she tells Min-su that what’s waiting outside is scarier than the games. This is the core of the show’s horror—the idea that 200 million won is the only thing standing between her and a fate worse than a bullet.
- The Death Debate: Fans are still arguing about her exit. Getting killed by Nam-gyu during the "Special Game" (the lights-out riot) was brutal. Some say she was "wasted potential," but her death served a massive narrative purpose: it broke Min-su and forced him to grow up (or spiral) in Season 3.
The Won Ji-an Factor
Won Ji-an is 170cm (about 5'7"), which makes her look quite imposing on screen. She’s a graduate of the Korea National University of Arts, which explains why her acting feels so grounded compared to some of the more "theatrical" performances in the show.
There was a lot of buzz about her casting because she wasn't a "huge" name yet, but director Hwang Dong-hyuk has a knack for picking people who just fit the skin of the character.
Some people were annoyed that we didn't get a full flashback for Se-mi. We know she’s in debt—roughly 200 million won—and likely dealing with loan sharks, but the show keeps her past a bit blurry. It makes her feel more like a representative of the "lost generation" in Korea rather than just a specific tragic hero.
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What to Watch Next if You Loved Se-mi
If you're mourning her exit and need more Won Ji-an in your life, skip the generic stuff and go straight to these:
- D.P. (Season 1): Her debut. She’s only in one episode really, but she stole the whole show.
- Hope or Dope: If you liked her "edgy" side in Squid Game, this is where she plays a drug mule forced into a rural town. It’s dark.
- If You Wish Upon Me: She plays a much more vulnerable, almost obsessive character here. It shows her range.
Se-mi might have been Player 380, but Won Ji-an is definitely number one on a lot of "actors to watch" lists for 2026. Her cameo in Season 3 (as a hallucination or vision) only proves that the creators knew how much the audience latched onto her.
To really understand the impact of Se-mi, you should re-watch the "Mingle" game and pay close attention to her body language. She isn't just standing there; she's constantly positioning herself to survive. It's the subtle details in Won Ji-an's performance that make the character stick in your head long after the episode ends.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out Won Ji-an’s Instagram (@wonjianolive) for behind-the-scenes shots of the Season 2 set.
- Look for the 2025 series Tempest or Made in Korea, which are her most recent projects following the Squid Game craze.