As of January 14, the second season of “Squid Game” entered the podium of most-watched Netflix shows with 152.5 million views, only behind its first season and “Wednesday.” It was the biggest Netflix TV debut ever, acquiring an impressive 68 million views within four days of release. Similarly to the first season, actors and actresses received immense love and support from audiences across the globe. However, how much do we really know about these stars?
Around the time when castings for “Squid Game Season 2” were announced, many turned to social media platforms to spread more information about particular actors– specifically their pasts. It turns out that some of the actors have had scandalous headlining news or even as far as criminal records.
To start, Song Young-chang, who played Player 100, was convicted of underage prostitution of a 16-year-old girl in 2000. As Yahoo News reports, “Song received a 10-month suspended prison sentence and two years of probation” as well as a major scratch to his acting career. However, Song “barely served a month in prison and was released. He migrated to the US, and got banned by [major] broadcast channels,” according to Time Now News.
Lee Jung-jae, who played Player 456 and was the main character, was charged with DUIs and faced multiple assault allegations from 1999 to 2002.
The star behind Player 246, Lee Jin-wook, was accused of sexual assault and rape in 2016 by a female friend. According to LiveJournal, “The court rejected her claim calling it consensual considering that she offered him a shower and a clean shirt.” The accuser was later counter-sued by Lee and sent to jail.
Lee Byung-hun, the star behind the Front Man and Player 001, was sued by his former girlfriend in 2009 for “deceiv[ing] her into a sexual relationship with a false promise of marriage, even causing physical and emotional harm,” according to Time Now News.
Choi Seung-hyun, better known by his stage name T.O.P., “was convicted of marijuana use, a serious offense in South Korea” while serving his mandatory military term in 2017, according to Yahoo News. Choi received a 10-month prison sentence and two-year probation, resulting in his departure from the K-Pop group Big Bang and a career hiatus.
Aside from controversies relating to criminal records, “Squid Game’s” production also received immense criticism for casting Park Sung-hoon, a straight, cisgender male, to portray a transgender female character. NBC News reports, “While some viewers speculated that the storyline could help bring attention to the trans community — which is marginalized in Korean society and underrepresented in the country’s entertainment industry — others said it missed the mark by not having a trans actor in the role.” Park later received additional criticism for reposting an explicit picture of an adult video parody of Squid Game on his social media.
The fairly undiscussed past of “Squid Game” stars have raised ethical questions within the entertainment industry. Though it is true that a single past mistake should not divert the course of one’s career, it is also arguable that as public figures, actors and celebrities should be held more accountable for their actions. As Yahoo News words it, “‘Squid Game’ may be a groundbreaking series, but the controversies surrounding its cast members highlight the need for greater scrutiny and accountability in the entertainment industry.” As actors with disputed pasts continue to headline global news, audiences are left questioning the media and entertainment industry’s overall accountability toward celebrities.
