Director Hwang Dong-hyuk Addresses Casting Controversy of T.O.P in Squid Game Season 2
Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director of Netflix's hit series Squid Game (오징어게임) Season 2, recently spoke out about the casting controversy surrounding T.O.P (real name Choi Seung-hyun), a former member of the group BIGBANG. In an interview on January 2, held at a café in Jongno, Seoul, Hwang expressed surprise at the backlash against T.O.P, stating, "I didn't realize that Choi Seung-hyun was still so unforgiven."
Hwang explained that when casting T.O.P, he considered the history of other celebrities who had faced drug-related issues and returned to the industry. He noted that many individuals had been banned from activities during the Park Chung-hee era for marijuana use but were allowed to return after a few years. Hwang believed that since T.O.P's incident occurred 6 to 7 years ago, the public might be more accepting of his return. However, he admitted to being taken aback by the negative reactions.
Despite the controversy, Hwang did not remove T.O.P from the cast. He mentioned that T.O.P had previously engaged in heated exchanges with fans and had stated he would not return to the Korean entertainment scene, which made Hwang think, "He has stirred things up for himself." Nevertheless, he felt it was unfair to dismiss someone he had worked with closely, saying, "As a director, I wanted to show whether he could be forgiven or not. I believed that the media and the public would decide on his acceptance after his return. So, I thought it was worth giving it a try."
T.O.P was previously convicted in 2017 for marijuana use, receiving a 10-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years. Following this, he left BIGBANG and hinted at retirement during disputes with netizens. He made his comeback in Squid Game Season 2, which premiered on December 26, portraying a rapper named Thanos who uses drugs. However, he has not appeared at any official events such as press conferences or premieres.
Squid Game Season 2 has gained immense popularity, building on the success of its first season. According to Flix Patrol, a site that tracks streaming viewership, the series reached the number one spot globally in the TV show category on January 4, maintaining its lead for eight consecutive days since December 27. Notably, it recorded an impressive 68 million views in the non-English TV category during the fourth week of December, setting a new record for Netflix's premiere week viewership.
