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The fairy-tale-like sets and the music that heightens the tension in Netflix's Squid Game are essential elements of the show. In an interview on January 16th at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, art director Chae Kyung-seon, music director Jung Jae-il, and new season 2 cinematographer Kim Ji-yong shared insights into the making of the series. They discussed how they preserved the unique essence of Squid Game while adding new layers to season 2.

Chae Kyung-seon, who earned global acclaim for her work on season 1, felt significant pressure during the production of season 2. In the early stages, she focused on changes, such as considering changing the iconic green tracksuits to sky blue, altering the color of bedding in the dormitory, and redesigning the staff masks. However, Chae ultimately decided to keep the elements that fans loved, saying, "I tried to push for new things in the beginning, but in the end, I stuck with the things that worked." She also mentioned that instead of stressing over perfection, she focused her energy on relaxing the pressure.

For season 2, Chae used lighting to emphasize the OX marks on the game floor. "Director Hwang Dong-hyuk wanted to use fluorescent paint, but I disagreed," Chae explained. "Instead, we incorporated lighting into the floor, using durable materials to ensure they wouldn’t break even when heavy equipment moved over them." Chae also shared that Cheol-Soo, a character she had previously sketched next to Young-hee in season 1, will appear in season 3. She said, "I never imagined we would actually create Cheol-Soo. Season 3 will feature many new game areas, so look forward to it."

Chae Kyung-seon, who won the Creative Arts Emmy Award for Production Design for season 1 and was nominated for the same category at the Art Directors Guild Awards, has also been nominated for the same award for season 2. The winner will be announced on February 15.

As with season 1, the background music in season 2 became a topic of conversation. Music director Jung Jae-il, who is also a singer and composer, said, "I became even more immersed in the story for season 2 than I did for season 1." Many of the songs were improvised, apart from some pre-selected tracks like "Time to Say Goodbye" and "To You," which were chosen by director Hwang during the script stage. "Scenes such as when the participants in the 5-in-6 Modern Pentathlon game support each other despite the tragic circumstances, and the collective madness revealed in the OX vote, gave me a lot of inspiration for the music," Jung said.

Jung Jae-il, who was nominated for the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) for his work on Parasite (2019), won the HMMA TV/Drama Music Award for Squid Game season 1.

New cinematographer Kim Ji-yong, who joined for season 2, focused on giving viewers the experience of the game from various perspectives. "I wanted viewers to feel like they were one of the participants in the game, so I filmed many scenes up close to the characters and events," Kim explained. "I also wanted to highlight the contrast between viewing from a close-up versus a wide-angle perspective, providing enjoyment from both angles." Throughout the season, the consistent use of red and blue as key colors became a prominent visual theme. Kim used these colors in both the reality world, such as the motel where Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) stays, and the OX marks inside the game. He explained, "I wanted to show that there isn’t much difference between the world inside the game and the outside world."