The Recruiter (Squid Game)
The Recruiter, also known as The Salesman, is a major antagonist in the Squid Game series.
From the 33rd Squid Game in 2020 until his death in 2024, he served as a recruiter, selecting participants for the deadly competition. Charismatic, polite, and seemingly wise, his outward charm concealed a ruthless and psychotic nature.
Originally a worker within the Squid Games, he was promoted to soldier and gradually earned the trust of the game's creator, Oh Il-nam. Rising through the ranks, he was eventually granted the role of recruiter, allowing him to operate outside the game. His primary task was to lure potential players by challenging them to a game of Ddakji, rewarding winners with a card that served as their entry into the competition.
| “ | Hmm. I used to work at the games, you know. Clearing and incinerating the bodies of countless people like you, Mr. Seong. These things aren't human. They're just trash, useless. They have no purpose in this world. That's what I kept telling myself for years, and I worked hard. One day they gave me a gun. I liked the way it felt. It was like someone had finally acknowledged my existence. And I don't know which year it was. There was a man who'd lost, and I went over to shoot him, but... Hmm. I recognized his face. Guess who it was. My dad. I was aiming a weapon at my very own father. And he begged me, tears in his eyes, to spare his life. And so do you know what I did? I shot him, bang, right in the middle of his forehead. That's when I knew. "Ah... I guess I really am cut out for this."
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„ |
| ― The Recruiter recounting his past to Gi-hun |
| Names | The Recruiter
The Salesman Motherfucker (by Choi Woo-seok) Ddakji shithead (by Choi Woo-seok) Ddakji guy (by a mercenary) Their fucking dog (by Seong Gi-hun) |
| Gender | Male ♂ |
| Race | Human |
| Occupation | Recruiter for the Squid Games, Squid Game Guard (formally) |
| Origin | Squid Game Season 1 Episode 1: Red Light, Green Light (무궁화 꽃이 피던 날 Mugunghwa Kkoch-i Pideon Nal) |
| Alignment | Evil |
| Age | 40s |
| Created By | Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Height | 184cm (6ft 0in) |
| Weight | 73 kg (160.9 lbs) |
| Personality Type | ENTP 3w2 (Enneagram) |
Appearance[edit | edit source]
The Recruiter is a tall and well-dressed man with a confident and refined demeanor. He typically wears a sleek, dark business suit, a white dress shirt, and a black tie, giving him a professional yet mysterious appearance. His neatly styled hair and clean-shaven face add to his polished look.
His most notable accessory is his briefcase, which contains cash and two ddakji envelopes—one red and one blue. This briefcase plays a crucial role in his recruitment process, as he uses it to lure potential players into the Squid Games.
Despite his composed and charming exterior, his expressions can range from calm and inviting to cold and ruthless. His smirks and subtle facial expressions often hint at his manipulative nature. In Season 2, his appearance remains largely the same, but his demeanor shifts to be more openly sadistic, with a more intense and menacing gaze.
Personality[edit | edit source]
The Recruiter, also known as The Salesman, maintains a calm and composed demeanor throughout Season 1 of Squid Game. In the episode Red Light, Green Light, he interacts with Seong Gi-hun in a relaxed, polite manner, never losing his composure—even after losing at Ddakji. The only moment he briefly breaks this demeanor is when Gi-hun points a lighter gun at him, mistaking it for a real weapon. Later, in One Lucky Day, his attitude shifts slightly, appearing more cunning as he gives Gi-hun a knowing smirk before leaving—a subtle hint at his true villainous nature, which would only be fully revealed in the following season.
In Season 2, the Recruiter is shown to be far more ruthless, displaying sadistic and sociopathic tendencies. He harbors deep contempt for the poor and miserable, even viewing his own father—whom he killed in the games—as worthless. He mockingly belittles Gi-hun’s Ddakji skills, emphasizing that his victory meant nothing in the eyes of the game’s organizers. His interactions with homeless individuals further highlight his cruelty, as he appears genuinely amused when a ticket turns out to be a losing one. His warped perspective on fate and human worth made him an ideal candidate for his role—someone willing to gamble with lives to prove a point. However, despite his sadism, he does not break the rules to kill Gi-hun when provoked, ultimately accepting his defeat and death in the final game.
Like many of the Squid Games staff, the Recruiter was wholly devoted to the event, to the extent that he seemed to place little value on his own life. This is most evident during his game of Russian roulette with Gi-hun, where he picks up the revolver without hesitation and pulls the trigger instantly, completely unfazed by the possibility of death.
His taste in music also reflects his dramatic and fatalistic nature, as he is seen listening to classical pieces such as Nessun dorma from Giacomo Puccini's Turandot and Time to Say Goodbye by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli while playing Russian roulette.
Biography[edit | edit source]
The Recruiter began his journey as a Pink Guard in the Squid Games, gradually earning the trust of the game's creator, Oh Il-nam. Initially working as a Worker, he was promoted to Soldier and eventually became a Manager. At some point during the games, he even killed his own father, demonstrating his ruthless nature. After reaching the highest rank among the Pink Guards, he was granted the opportunity to operate outside the game in the "real world," taking on the role of recruiter.
As the first point of contact between the players and the game’s organizers, the Recruiter played a crucial role in selecting participants. Armed with a briefcase of cash and Ddakji envelopes, he enticed desperate individuals by offering them a seemingly easy way to earn money. After several rounds of Ddakji, he handed successful players a card featuring the game’s logo and a phone number. Those who chose to call were instructed to state their name and birthdate before being given the opportunity to enter the deadly competition.
In 2020, the Recruiter began selecting participants for the 33rd Squid Game, recruiting individuals such as Cho Sang-woo, Kang Sae-byeok, Ali Abdul, Jang Deok-su, Han Mi-nyeo, and Ji-yeong. After gathering 455 players, he approached the final contestant, Seong Gi-hun, on a subway platform.
The Recruiter invited Gi-hun to play Ddakji, offering ₩100,000 to the winner. Gi-hun hesitantly agreed but lost the first round. When asked for money and unable to pay, he was instead slapped as an alternative. Determined, Gi-hun continued playing, enduring multiple slaps until he finally won. Attempting to retaliate, he tried to slap the Recruiter, but the latter easily blocked him before handing over the prize money.
He then offered Gi-hun a chance to join the 33rd Squid Game. Sensing Gi-hun’s hesitation, the Recruiter revealed knowledge of his financial struggles, mentioning his debts to banks and loan sharks as a means of persuasion. When questioned about how he obtained this information, he simply handed Gi-hun a business card and urged him to call soon, warning that spots were filling up quickly before exiting the station.
Eventually, Gi-hun gave in and dialed the number. The Recruiter answered, asking, "Who's calling? Do you wish to participate in the game? If you wish to play, please state your name and birthdate." Gi-hun complied, officially securing his place in the deadly competition and was soon transported to the game’s location.
Later, footage of the Recruiter slapping other contestants, including Cho Sang-woo, Kim Mi-ok, and Park Ju-un, was shown to the players by the guards, further reinforcing the widespread recruitment process.
In 2022, the Recruiter resumed his role, selecting participants for the 34th Squid Game. Following the death of Oh Il-nam the previous year, Seong Gi-hun—now the winner of the 33rd Squid Game—spotted the Recruiter at a subway station while on the phone with Seong Ga-yeong. The Recruiter was once again playing Ddakji with a potential contestant.
Noticing Gi-hun staring at him, the Recruiter gave a sly smirk before handing the other person a business card and walking away. Gi-hun immediately rushed toward him, but before he could reach him, the Recruiter boarded a departing train. As the doors closed, he waved goodbye to Gi-hun, disappearing from sight.
Determined, Gi-hun took the card from the potential player and called the number. Instead of backing down, he used the opportunity to declare that he would not forgive the game's organizers. In response, he heard the Recruiter's familiar words once more: "Do you wish to participate in the game? If you wish to play, please state your name and birthdate."
In 2024, the Recruiter resumed his work, selecting participants for either the 36th or 37th Squid Game, depending on whether Oh Il-nam’s death had delayed the 2021 event. Among those recruited were Thanos, Kim Jun-hee, Cho Hyun-ju, Lee Myung-gi, and Park Jung-bae. After gathering 454 players for the latest Squid Game—before Seong Gi-hun returned as the 456th player and the Front Man infiltrated as Player 001—the Recruiter continued his usual routine, unaware that he was being tracked.
For two years, Kim Jeong-rae and Choi Woo-seok, two men recruited by Gi-hun, had been searching for the Recruiter, motivated by a promised payment of 1 billion won. They finally located him and began following his movements.
The Recruiter’s day led him to a bakery, where he purchased a large quantity of bread, and later to another shop, where he bought 100 lottery tickets. He then made his way to a park, where a group of impoverished individuals had gathered. Offering them a twisted choice, he presented a loaf of bread in one hand and a lottery ticket in the other, letting them decide between immediate sustenance or a chance at fortune. Most chose the lottery tickets, driven by desperation and hope, except for one individual who opted for the bread. The Recruiter took sadistic pleasure in watching them, smirking when a ticket turned out to be a losing one.
Moments later, he moved to the center of the park, discarded all the remaining bread onto the ground, and stomped on it, making it inedible. As he did so, he taunted the onlookers, implying that their greed had cost them the very sustenance they needed to survive.
The Recruiter continued his day, leaving behind a mysterious trail of actions that baffled his pursuers. Growing impatient, Jeong-rae and Woo-seok decided to confront him directly. However, despite their efforts, the Recruiter easily overpowered them, swiftly subduing and kidnapping them.
Taking them to a secluded location, the Recruiter devised a deadly game to extract information. He introduced Rock, Paper, Scissors Minus One—but with a lethal twist: the loser of each round had to endure a turn in Russian roulette. Loading a single bullet into a revolver, he explained that after every round, the chamber would be rotated and fired at the loser, leaving their survival up to chance.
As the game progressed and both captives survived multiple rounds, the Recruiter grew bored. To raise the stakes, he loaded five bullets into the gun, leaving only one empty chamber. On the final round, one of the captives was shot dead, while the other survived. The Recruiter then turned his attention to the survivor, presumably interrogating them about who had sent them and why they had been following him.
The Recruiter eventually confronts Seong Gi-hun at his residence, intrigued by how he managed to win the Squid Games. However, Gi-hun responds with scorn, insulting the Recruiter and calling him nothing more than a loyal dog to the game's organizers. Enraged, the Recruiter recounts the sacrifices he made to reach his position. He reveals that while working as a Pink Guard, he was forced to kill his own father during one of the games—an act he carried out without hesitation. His ruthlessness earned him the trust of the organizers, leading to his appointment as the official recruiter. He then expresses his disdain for the poor, referring to them as worthless scum undeserving of sympathy.
Deciding to put Gi-hun through another test, the Recruiter initiates a final game of Russian roulette. However, he modifies the rules: instead of rotating the chamber after each shot, it remains in place, making survival progressively less likely with each round. Both men survive twice, during which the Recruiter taunts Gi-hun with sadistic smiles and unnervingly slow gestures as he places the gun to his mouth.
Before Gi-hun takes the fifth shot—where he has only a 50% chance of survival—the Recruiter tries to manipulate him. He urges Gi-hun to cheat and shoot him instead, arguing that doing so would prove he is no different from the weak, desperate players who lost before him. He mocks Gi-hun, claiming that his victory in the Squid Games was mere luck and that he is not special.
Unmoved by the provocation, Gi-hun refuses to break the rules. He presses the gun to his head, pulls the trigger, and survives—leaving the next shot certain to contain the bullet. Seizing the moment, Gi-hun turns the Recruiter’s own words against him, daring him to cheat and kill him. He declares that if the Recruiter refuses to play by the rules, it will prove that he himself was nothing more than a pawn—an obedient lapdog to the true masterminds of the Squid Games.
Visibly shaken, the Recruiter hesitates before turning the gun on himself. He fires a shot under his chin and dies instantly.
Shortly afterward, Hwang Jun-ho arrives at the scene. Initially suspecting Gi-hun of murder, he soon learns that the Recruiter lost the game fair and square. Meanwhile, Choi Woo-seok expresses his frustration, lamenting that he had wanted to kill the Recruiter himself to avenge his employer.
As a final insult to the Recruiter's legacy, footage of him slapping potential Squid Game participants—including Cho Sang-woo, Kim Mi-ok, and Park Ju-un—is later shown to the newly recruited players by the guards.
Powers and Statistics[edit | edit source]
Tier: 9-C , higher with Smith & Wesson Model 19
Powers and Abilities:
- Peak Human Physical Characteristics
- Weapon Mastery (Used his briefcase as a weapon against Mr. Kim and Choi Woo-soek. He's also an experienced marksman who wields a with Smith & Wesson Model 19 revolver)
- Martial Arts (Was a former soldier in the Squid Games. With minimal effort, he simulataneously defeated Mr. Kim and Choi Woo-soek, who're experienced mobsters)
- Social Influencing (Is often regarded as charming and good-looking. Throughout his career, he was able to recruit hundreds of people to enroll in participate in the Squid Games)
- Stealth Mastery (Remained undetected for two years straight despite Gi-hun hiring an entire mafia to track him down through daily surveys of Seoul's subway stations, areas where he primarily dwells. As a former worker for the Squid Game, the Recruiter knows how to clean up his crimes without being noticed by the authorities)
Attack Potency: Street level (Repeatedly slapped Seong Gi-hun hard enough to redden the left side of his face.[1] Has possibly slapped the likes of Cho Sang-woo and Jang Deok-su respectively.[1] Casually defeated and knocked out Mr. Kim and Choi Woo-soek with his briefcase.[2] As a former soldier, he should be comparable to other guards[2]), higher with Smith & Wesson Model 19 (Uses 357 Magnum rounds giving it a yield of 1,106 Joules)
Speed: Peak Human (Casually reacted to and blocked a slap from Gi-hun[1] and a knife attack from Woo-soek with relative ease.[2] As a former soldier, he should be comparable to other guards[2]), Supersonic attack speed with Smith & Wesson Model 19 (Can fire bullets at velocities reaching 1,600 feet per second or 487.6 m/s)
Lifting Strength: Average Human (Briefly restrained Gi-hun with one arm[1])
Striking Strength: Street level (Made Gi-hun flinch with his strikes[1])
Durability: Street level
Stamina: At least Average (He regularly plays Ddakji with random people and slaps them for at least several minutes.[1] One day, after playing a game of Ddakji, he went to local stores to buy large quantities of bread and lottery tickets. He then walked to a park to offer them to numerous homeless people; when most chose the lottery tickets, he dumped all the bread in the middle of the park, where he vigorously stomped them right before their eyes. Shortly after, he won a fight against two mobsters and kidnapped them for a game of Russian Roulette. By nightfall, he had taken the bound survivor to Gi-hun's hideout and wasn't tired once the latter arrived.[2])
Range: Standard Melee Range physically, Extended Melee Range with Briefcase, Tens of Meters with Smith & Wesson Model 19 (Has an effective firing range of 46 m)
Standard Equipment: Briefcase,[1] Ddakji Cards,[1] Telephone Cards,[1] Korean Won Notes,[1] A Coin,[2] Smith & Wesson Model 19 Revolver,[2] Cellphone[2]
Optional Equipment: Bread,[2] Lottery Tickets,[2] Rope,[2] Mouth Gags[2]
Intelligence: Gifted (The Recruiter is rather cold and calculated. He has extensive knowledge about hundreds of people's personal lives and financial statuses.[1] While he struggles to exhibit emotions, he still understands them well, as he's manipulated hundreds of broken people like Seong Gi-hun and Cho Sang-woo into joining the Squid Game under promises of hope and wealth.[1] Being a former worker and soldier for the game, the Recruiter is also knowledgeable in stealth, weaponry, and hand-to-hand combat.[2] Due to his monotonous view on life, he always stays calm and collected, regardless of the situation, making him a very dangerous individual.[2])
Weaknesses: Standard Human Weaknesses. Highly sadistic and sociopathic[2]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Fans initially speculated that the red and blue envelopes represented the distinction between Squid Game staff and players. However, it was later confirmed that the colors reference the Japanese legend of Aka Manto, a masked spirit that asks people whether they want red or blue paper in the bathroom. Additionally, players shown on the monitor in Red Light, Green Light had chosen the red ddakji, debunking the rumor. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk also confirmed in an interview that the theory was false.
- Another fan theory suggested that the Recruiter smiled at Seong Gi-hun in Season 1 because he was happy to see a former contestant or recognized him after the games. This was later debunked in Season 2 when the Recruiter explicitly stated he viewed Gi-hun as worthless.
- The Recruiter frequently appearing at subway stations could be a nod to actor Gong Yoo’s role in Train to Busan, a film set on a train.
- It is highly likely that multiple recruiters exist (or existed) in South Korea, as the Recruiter’s death did not halt the Squid Games' recruitment process, implying he was not the sole person responsible.
- A minor continuity error occurred in the episode Halloween Party, where some viewers noticed that the Recruiter briefly opened his eyes during a scene in which he was supposed to be unconscious.
- The Recruiter was portrayed by Gong Yoo, who is well known for playing Seok Woo in Train to Busan and Kim Shin in Goblin.
- Initially, Gong Yoo was not supposed to be part of Squid Game. When Hwang Dong-hyuk first approached him for the role, he was too busy and declined. However, after learning about a scene where he would get to slap Lee Jung-jae (who plays Gi-hun), Gong Yoo immediately accepted the offer. He was so enthusiastic that he did not even ask for payment for his appearance.
Theme[edit | edit source]
