Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Squid Game season 2, episode 1.
Squid Game season 2, episode 1 sees Lee Jung-jae’s Seong Gi-hun using a box opener to cut into his ear and remove a device, raising the question of what exactly was inside his ear. While most of season 2 is set two years after Squid Game season 1’s finale, “Bread Or Lottery” actually starts right where season 1 left off. After running into the Salesman at an airport, Gi-hun received a call from the Front Man telling him to get into the plane and never look back.
Although Gi-hun was about to travel to the United States and reunite with his daughter, seeing the Salesman recruiting someone to play the games made him realize that other people were going to have to go through the same horrors he did. Gi-hun told the Front Man (played by Lee Byung-hun) that he was going to come after them and would bring down their operation. As soon as he left the airport and went back to Seoul, Gi-hun bought a box opener and rushed into a bathroom.
Gi-hun Removed A Tracker Device From His Ear In Squid Game Season 2, Episode 1
Gi-hun Realized He Was Being Watched
Gi-hun used the box opener to cut into his ear and remove a tracker device that was put there somewhere during the events of Squid Game season 1. Gi-hun noticed that it was no coincidence that the Front Man called him just as he was reconsidering whether he was going to get inside that plane and move to the United States. Somehow, the Front Man knew exactly where Gi-hun was, even though it had been a year since Player 456 won the previous competition.
The airport scene takes place a year after Gi-hun won the games, with the rest of Squid Game season 2 taking place two years after Gi-hun answers the Front Man’s phone call.
Fortunately, Gi-hun was quick to realize that the only way the Front Man could know where he was that day was if they had put a tracker on him. Lee Jung-jae’s character was likely already noticing something off around his left ear, which is why he decided to cut there looking for a tracker. Gi-hun was correct, and he had a tracking device on him after all.
Why The Squid Games’ Organizers Put A Tracker On Gi-hun At The End Of Season 1
The Front Man Likely Anticipated That Gi-hun Could Become A Problem
There are two explanations for when and why the games’ organizers put a tracker on Gi-hun. The first is that all players were given a tracker as soon as they were brought onto the island. It must be noted that all players were sedated before they were taken to the island where the games were going to happen, meaning that the organizers had enough time to put a tracker inside each of them before the first round even happened.
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Another explanation is that the Front Man wanted to keep an eye out on Gi-hun after he won the games and put a tracker on him while bringing him back to the city at the end of season 1. Hwang In-ho could have suspected that Gi-hun would become a liability in the future due to his unpredictable nature and decided to watch his steps closely. Either way, Gi-hun was being watched the whole time until he removed the tracker himself at the start of Squid Game season 2, episode 1.