Character from Squid Game by Hwang Dong-hyuk
Player 390 — Gi-hun's loudmouthed, loyal gambling buddy who followed him into the games and paid for Gi-hun's idealism with a bullet.
Jung-bae is the friend who shows up no matter what. He gambled with Gi-hun before Season 1, failed at running a pub between seasons, and ended up back in debt. When he discovers Gi-hun is in the 37th game, his first reaction isn't 'why are you here' — it's 'I've got your back.' He's loud, funny, and genuinely warm. His marine background gives him physical competence and a loyalty that goes beyond friendship into something closer to brotherhood. He believes in Gi-hun's rebellion because he believes in Gi-hun — not because he's thought through the strategic implications. The Front Man shoots him during the rebellion as a deliberate lesson: this is what your idealism costs other people. Jung-bae's death is designed to break Gi-hun, and it almost works. He died because his friend tried to be a hero and the system punished the friend instead of the hero.
Stocky, animated Korean man with the weathered face of someone who's spent too many nights at too many gambling tables. Former marine — the build is still there underneath the softness. His face is expressive and mobile, always either laughing or panicking.
Also known as: 390, Player 390, Jung-bae