'Marijuana Smoking' Top (Choi Seung-hyun) Casting Controversy
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk: "We Did Extensive Verification"
"Please Reassess After the Work's Release" Request
Former Big Bang member T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun) is appearing in Netflix's "Squid Game Season 2," and director Hwang Dong-hyuk addressed the casting controversy. T.O.P Instagram
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who is in charge of directing the Netflix original series 'Squid Game Season 2,' spoke about the controversy surrounding the casting of T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun), a former member of the group Big Bang.
Director Hwang attended a press conference for 'Squid Game Season 2' held on August 1st at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The content of this conference was reported to the media after about three months as the release date of the work approached. On that day, despite the huge controversy that erupted after the announcement, Director Hwang responded to the reason for pushing forward with T.O.P's casting by saying, "I did not expect it to become such a controversy."
He continued, "I don't know if my judgment was right, but it was an incident that happened a long time ago, and a sentence was passed and executed over time," adding, "There have been celebrities who caused social disturbances in the past, but many of them have made comebacks. Among those who are currently active, there are also people with past records." He said, "Since time has passed, I thought it might be time to start working again, so I cast him," and confessed, "Far more people expressed concerns than I expected. I realized that my thinking might have been wrong."
On August 1st, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Director Hwang Dong-hyuk spoke at the 'Squid Game' Season 2 press conference. Provided by Netflix
Furthermore, he said, "We conducted thorough verification. He showed strong will, and because of anxious feelings, I thought he should audition, so he participated directly," explaining, "He diligently filmed and sent acting videos on tape. Even when we re-verified during the script reading due to some concerns, he showed great effort and talent." Director Hwang also revealed his trust in T.O.P, saying, "I had also paid attention to Choi Seung-hyun during his acting days. I cannot disclose details about the character, but just having Choi Seung-hyun take on this role required courage," and added, "I thought this actor was the most suitable and made the decision."
He also mentioned the reason for not reversing the casting decision. He stated, "Although it became controversial, we went through a long process with this actor," and said, "We concluded that the only way was to show through the final product why we had to do this work with this actor." Additionally, he asked for understanding, saying, "You may not understand why I insisted on him, but please know it was not an easy decision," and urged, "I hope you will judge again after the work is released."
Previously, T.O.P was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a 2-year probation in October 2016 for smoking marijuana at his home. The incident was discovered while he was serving as a conscripted policeman, leading to his dismissal from the position, and he later completed his military service as a social service agent. Afterward, when a netizen left a comment on social media saying, "Don't think about coming back, just reflect quietly," he replied, "I have no intention of doing so either." However, last June, he announced his return to acting with the news of joining 'Squid Game Season 2,' sparking controversy once again.
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