Director Hwang Dong-hyuk Defends Casting of T.O.P in 'Squid Game 2' Amid Controversy

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk's defense of casting T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun), who has a past drug conviction, in 'Squid Game 2' has become a hot topic.

On August 1st, a press conference for 'Squid Game' Season 2 was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk and producer Kim Ji-yeon were in attendance.

'Squid Game' tells the story of 456 players competing in a mysterious survival game for a prize of 45.6 billion won. Since its release in September 2021, it has gained immense popularity worldwide.

Regarding the upcoming release of Season 2, Hwang Dong-hyuk expressed, "For over two years, I've been deeply involved with this project every day. Now that it's finally being released, I feel a mix of excitement and pressure."

The casting of 'Squid Game 2' sparked controversy when it was revealed that T.O.P, a former member of the group Big Bang who was caught smoking marijuana, would be joining the cast. After the marijuana scandal, T.O.P left Big Bang and announced his retirement from the entertainment industry, only to later be cast in 'Squid Game 2', which drew criticism.

Director Hwang explained, "I didn't expect Choi Seung-hyun's casting to become such a controversy. Personally, it was an incident from the past, and he has served his sentence and completed his probation. While he did cause a social stir, there are others who have returned to the industry, so I thought he could start anew." He added, "I didn't anticipate such a strong reaction, and I realized I might have underestimated the situation."

However, he continued, "We conducted thorough evaluations, and Choi Seung-hyun showed great determination. He sent audition videos and demonstrated his talent during readings. We decided to proceed with the casting, believing that the results would speak for themselves. I hope people understand that it wasn't an easy decision for him either."

Regarding allegations of favoritism towards actors from specific agencies, Hwang stated, "That's a huge misunderstanding. I feel wronged. I believe no one is as strict as I am about such matters. Using actors based on personal connections or agency affiliations is against my principles."

Meanwhile, T.O.P was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a two-year probation in 2017 for marijuana use. In 2022, he ended his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment and left Big Bang in May of the previous year.

During this period, T.O.P responded to netizens urging him not to return with sarcasm, saying, "Yes! God! I have no intention of returning. Just look at animal pictures," and further angered the public by stating in an online live broadcast, "I won't be making a comeback in Korea."

Reported by Tae Yuna, Ten Asia youyou@tenasia.co.kr