She was created by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, who made her a defector in order to provide representation of a minority group in South Korea.

She frequently consulted with actress Lee Yoo-mi, who portrayed Ji-yeong, which she felt improved the two characters' chemistry together.

He convinces her to untie his hands by swearing on his mother's life that he would forget the money she stole, only for him to break that vow, left with his legs tied.

He says that they will need more money to get her to China, prompting her to splash him with hot tea and threatening him with a knife, saying she will get him the money, She decides to return to the game when given the opportunity, as did the large majority of players from the previous games, covering her mouth so she doesn't get knocked out by the gas when picked up and managing to sneak her knife in.

Sae-byeok uses her knife to enter a vent in the bathroom at night with assistance from a woman named Han Mi-nyeo, allowing her to see that the workers were melting sugar, though she did not understand the significance of this.

Gi-hun manages to win while Sang-woo dies in the last game, helping Cheol get out of the children's home by sending him to live with a family friend and giving a large sum of money to them.

[2] She was portrayed by Jung Ho-yeon, a model who aspired to be an actor, taking acting classes and signing with an agency.

Hwang stated that her voice and appearance fit his image of Sae-byeok, and hoped that her "fresh charm" would come across.

Jung stated that Hwang told her he thought her eyes resembled a wild horse's and that she felt like she had a strong will.

[6] She also took martial arts classes to prepare for the role, training with Jang Deok-su actor Heo Sung-tae and other cast members.

She felt that their conversations helped create better chemistry between their characters, that their final scene was able to depict the actress' bond.

[8] Kang Sae-byeok received generally positive reception, described as a "fan favorite" by The Cut writer Brooke LaMantia, particularly among women.

LaMantia considered her appearance attractive, citing details like her "wispy bangs, big eyes, and pouty lips" among other things as to why.

He felt that Jung's experience in modeling contributed to her performance, calling everything the character does "purposeful and real.

[12] Discussing the relationship between Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong, Gayming Mag writer Aimee Hart found it a particularly compelling aspect of the show.

[15] A trend occurred on YouTube, where videos featuring the actress released before Squid Game had the series name added to get more views.

Hanlon expressed disappointment with the conclusion of her arc, commenting that she is "clever and courageous" and that she joined for a selfless reason.

[17] Her death was described as hard-hitting by Digital Spy David Opie, who attributed it to her backstory and actress Jung Ho-yeon's skill.

While she praised Sae-byeok's interactions with Ji-yeong in the sixth episode of the first season as the best part of it, she disliked how unceremonious her ending was.

[1] There was speculation that the season 2 character Kang No-eul, also a North Korean defector, was related to Sae-byeok.