Was Squid Game Season 2 a comeback for K-Pop star Choi Seung-hyun? Director Hwang Dong-hyuk opens up

Squid Game Season 2 has surprised the fans with the appearance of former BIGBANG member T.O.P aka Choi Seung-hyun. With a controversial history of getting jailed for marijuana use, which is illegal in South Korea, Choi Seung-hyun’s comeback has made the fans happy.

Before Squid Game, Choi Seung-hyun had starred in 71: Into the Fire (2010), which brought him two Best New Actor awards. However, since his scandal involving marijuana involvement happened, he was not only jailed but also suspended for two years from his mandatory military service.

His role in Squid Game is therefore seen as his comeback. Moreover, the fact that the character he plays, Thanos, a rapper who is sometimes on drugs, has a little too much similarity to his past, makes the comeback even more commendable.

Let us now explore what Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk has to say about Choi Seung-hyun’s role in the Netflix show.

Hwang Dong-hyuk applauds Choi Seung-hyun for his comeback in Squid Game Season 2

Hwang Dong-hyuk, in an interview with PEOPLE, talked about his decision to cast someone like Choi Seung-hyun and how the actor proved his decision to be right. Hwang Dong-hyuk said,

“As you may know, the actor Seung-hyun, about nine years ago got involved in a marijuana scandal in Korea and wasn't able to do any projects for the past nine years in Korea. And so this is a comeback after quite a long hiatus, and particularly because he portrays a character that's a rapper and also someone who is on drugs.”

He further added,

“I feel that it took him a lot of guts, in a way, to portray a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person too. So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role."

He also mentioned that Choi Seung-hyun’s long hiatus and the events that led to it did not really hamper his acting skills and his performance on the set of Squid Game Season 2 had blown him away.

What led to Choi Seung-hyun’s imprisonment before he starred in Squid Game?

Kim Whanki, the famous Korean artist’s grand nephew Choi Seung-hyun, made his debut in the Korean entertainment industry in 2007, with I Am Sam, a romantic K-drama.

He had a pretty successful career in the industry till 2017 when his scandal involving marijuana use happened. On June 5, 2017, after his indictment, Choi Seung-hyun released a handwritten letter to apologize to his fans.

The letter said as reported by the Korea Herald,

“First of all, I would like to extend my sincere apology to many of you for causing huge disappointment and disturbance. I feel so embarrassed that I can’t show myself in front of you to apologize.”

The letter further went on,

“I have no excuses and deserve any kind of punishment. I feel very regretful and fearful for having left an irreparable scar in everyone’s hearts, including our members, my agency, friends and family. I will reflect on my wrongdoing over and over again. Once more, I apologize for not being able to apologize to everyone personally.”

After he received his sentence in July, he again apologized to his fans and promised them that he wouldn’t ever repeat his actions. His comeback in Squid Game Season 2 seems to be validating the statement he had made then, much to the delight of his fans.

Squid Game Season 1 and 2 can be streamed on Netflix.