Park Sung-hoon Gains Followers Amid Controversy Over Explicit Content Sharing
Actor Park Sung-hoon is currently embroiled in a controversy surrounding the sharing of explicit content, yet his global fanbase is growing rapidly. His social media following has surged from approximately 1.84 million to 2.21 million as of January 5, 2025. This increase can be attributed not only to the positive reception of his character Hyun-joo in the Netflix original series Squid Game (오징어 게임) but also to the heightened interest following the controversy.
On December 30, Park shared a parody cover of a Japanese adult video on his personal social media account, which sparked outrage, especially as the nation was mourning the victims of the Jeju Air plane disaster. The shared image featured explicit content, including a woman's breasts and graphic sexual scenes, which shocked many. Although Park deleted the post shortly after uploading it, it quickly spread across online communities.
Park Sung-hoon has enjoyed a string of hits with projects like The Glory (더 글로리), Queen of Tears (눈물의 여왕), and now Squid Game 2 (오징어 게임2). However, this recent incident has put him in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
His agency, BH Entertainment, responded promptly, stating that Park had mistakenly uploaded the image while checking numerous direct messages on his account. They expressed that he was shocked and embarrassed by the incident.
Despite the agency's apology, criticism arose regarding why Park had the explicit image in the first place, leading to calls for him to step down from his upcoming project, The Tyrant's Chef (폭군의 셰프). Fans were particularly vocal due to his romantic scenes with actress Lim Yoona in the series.
The controversy even affected The Tyrant's Chef, as a scheduled script reading on January 2 was canceled, with some speculating it was a response to Park's scandal. However, the production team clarified that the cancellation was a gesture of respect for the national mourning period following the Jeju Air tragedy, and not related to Park's personal issues.
While Park Sung-hoon faces backlash over the explicit content sharing controversy, he ironically finds himself gaining more attention and followers due to his role in Squid Game 2.
