Squid Game 3's Jo Yuri was 'most worried' about birth scene making viewers 'awkward', here's who she visited for advice
Jo Yuri addressed the controversy surrounding Squid Game 3's childbirth scene and revealed the extensive preparation she undertook to tackle the demanding role.

Squid Game Season 3 star Jo Yuri recently shared her experience of playing the heavily pregnant character of Park Jun Hee. Her role received mixed reactions from netizens, with the childbirth scene generating a huge buzz in particular.
The idol-actress opened up about her worries and preparation method regarding the challenging role, as reported by K-media outlet Sports Today on July 8.
Jo Yuri addressed the controversy surrounding Squid Game 3's childbirth scene
In an interview held at a Seoul cafe on July 8, Jo Yuri candidly discussed the backlash surrounding her portrayal of a childbirth scene in the hit Netflix drama Squid Game Season 3. Regarding her character giving birth too quickly during the Hide-and-Seek gam, she said, "I completely understand that kind of feedback. It was important to strike a balance between dramatic effect and realism."
She revealed that she discussed a lot with director Hwang Dong Hyuk, "deciding which parts should lean more toward authenticity and which could be heightened for impact."
She also elaborated on the extensive preparation she undertook to tackle the demanding role, which was both emotionally and physically taxing. "I was most worried that viewers would find the performance awkward," she said.
Jo Yuri sought advice from numerous people for childbirth scene
The former IZ*ONE member acknowledged that depicting pregnancy and childbirth, given her lack of personal experience with them, proved to be a considerable challenge. Due to that, she "asked many people for advice—senior actress Kang Ae Shim, my mother, a friend who recently gave birth, and even an obstetrician." Jo Yuri credited one particular piece of advice as being especially impactful for her.
Recalling it, she mentioned, "People told me, 'Don't overthink the birth scene. In real life, your mind goes completely blank during labor. If you try to act it out deliberately, it'll look unnatural.'" That helped me approach it more instinctively."
Jo Yuri focused on the fact that player 222 / Jun Hee wasn't fully prepared for motherhood yet. The actress tried to capture that sentiment in her portrayal of the character, particularly in the way she held the baby.