Every Scandal Plaguing The Cast Of “Squid Game” (It’s More Than You Expect)
Content Warning
Netflix‘s hit Korean thriller series, Squid Game, returned for Season 2 on December 26, proving that after years, it is as popular as ever. The show is ranked #1 in all 93 countries where Netflix is available.
Despite its popularity, some viewers aren’t tuning in to the new show due to its cast. While many talented new actors are featured in the new season, the show also has an alarming number of actors who are heavily associated with real-life scandals.
kind of insane that squid game is tainted by the fact that apparently every other male actor in the show is some sort of predator or bigot like do they not do background checks anymore
— ZAYNA🇵🇸 FREE PALESTINE (@HorrorHijabi) December 29, 2024
Check them out below.
1. O Yeong Su
After finding worldwide success with Squid Game, O Yeong Su, known for his role as Player #001, Oh Il Nam—or the “Gganbu Grandpa,” was indicted in November 2022 for inappropriately hugging an actress, holding her hand, and kissing her cheek.
While he initially denied the charges, O was found guilty in May 2024. The elderly actor also claimed that his 8-month sentence with a 2-year suspension was “too harsh,” considering he had already been “punished by the people” for his actions. So, he appealed the sentence.
The defendant has already been removed from various film projects and has faced social scrutiny due to this case.
— Oh Yeong Su’s Legal Representative
2. Lee Jung Jae
Lee Jung Jae, portraying the main character Seong Gi Hun (Player #456), has received massive success and awards worldwide, even going on to join the Star Wars franchise in the Disney+ series The Acolyte in 2024.
Yet, his past resurfaced surprising both international and Korean fans. Lee Jung Jae was found guilty of multiple DUIs and two different assault cases.
In 1999, Lee was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) after crashing his BMW into a car in the adjacent lane. His blood alcohol content was 0.222%. As a result, his driver’s license was revoked. He also got another DUI in 2002 that led to his license being revoked again.
— Wikipedia
Both of Lee Jung Jae’s assault cases were reported in 2000. The first one reportedly happened in November 1999 at a bar in Seoul Cheongdamdong. Lee had been drinking at a party with four other people at the time, and he allegedly assaulted a 30-year-old Pyo, along with his friend, Park, due to an argument.
The second assault charge was for Lee Jung Jae reportedly injuring a 22-year-old woman in front of a nightclub in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on September 26, 2000. Lee reportedly “dragged and kicked her with his foot,” which resulted in her sustaining multiple injuries for two weeks. The actor, who was 25-year-old then, was booked by the Busan Haeundae Police Station without detention.
Additionally, Lee Jung Jae was also accused of being homophobic after an excerpt from a 2013 interview with Vogue Korea resurfaced about a friend of his who had passed away. It’s suspected the friend was creative director Woo Jong Wan, who was found dead in an apparent suicide at his apartment in Seoul around the time of the interview.
A while ago, Y left for heaven…[Before he died,] I said to Y, ‘You should stop being gay. Haven’t you been that way enough?’ But it was not easy.
— Lee Jung Jae, Vogue Korea
While fans like to believe Lee Jung Jae has grown over the years, he has been embroiled in a legal dispute with the CEO of Raemongraein, a drama production company he acquired this year.
On June 10, KST CEO Kim Dong Rae told investors, accusing Lee Jung Jae’s company, Artist United, which became the largest shareholder, of filing a lawsuit against him and attempting to seize control of Raemongraein through a shareholders’ meeting. Kim also criticized the actor for lacking vision and not being involved in the company enough. Artist United reportedly used the company’s cash assets to acquire a suspended entertainment firm, which Kim claimed was “contrary to prior agreements.”
Although Raemongraein’s management was opposed, Artist United had allegedly pushed for a shareholders’ meeting not just to replace the CEO but to change the company’s name and alter the board and articles of association. Kim believes these actions were attempts for Lee to seize control of the company. Lee has countersued Kim for false accusations and fraud while claiming that there was a clear agreement prior.
The investigation has been ongoing, with both Lee and Park expected to be questioned by the police soon. The case has attracted significant attention due to Lee Jung Jae’s high profile in the entertainment industry.
3. Lee Byung Hun
Lee Byung Hun is now famous for portraying The Front Man, Hwang In Ho, in Squid Game. In Season 2, his character becomes known as “Oh Young-Il” (Player #001).
Yet, the actor reached worldwide stardom years before Squid Game, becoming an acclaimed Hollywood film actor. Now an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences member, he was even the first Korean actor to present an Oscar at the annual Academy Awards.
Still, he’s not without controversy.
In December 2009, Lee’s ex-girlfriend, Kwon Mi Yeon, sued him, claiming he was a chronic gambler and that she was tricked into a sexual relationship with him under the promise of marriage and sought ₩100 million KRW (about USD 67,900) in damages. However, Lee countersued for defamation and extortion, as his agency denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit “retaliatory.” Shortly after, TV host Kang Byung Kyu disrupted the set of the K-Drama Iris as Lee filmed, allegedly involving gangsters due to a producer spreading rumors that “Kang was behind the feud between Lee and Kwon.”
Kang was ultimately arrested and later indicted on blackmail and defamation charges, with prosecutors alleging he and Kwon had tried to extort Lee before she filed her lawsuit. Lee Byung Hun was also cleared of gambling charges in March 2010, and Kwon’s lawsuit was dropped in August due to her lack of participation. In 2013, Kang was sentenced to one year in prison with three years probation for fraud and assault.
In 2014, while his wife was pregnant, Lee Byung Hun was reportedly blackmailed by GLAM‘s Dahee and model Lee Ji Yeon. The two women allegedly demanded ₩5.00 billion KRW (about $3.39 million USD) in exchange for a compromising video of the actor making allegedly lewd comments to them that they secretly recorded. Lee Ji Yeon claimed that the two were dating, and both women were sentenced to prison for their crimes but received suspended sentences after Lee requested a pardon. Ultimately, GLAM disbanded due to Dahee’s sentencing.
Most recently, Lee Byung Hun allegedly owed hundreds of millions of won in back taxes.
4. T.O.P
Former BIGBANG member T.O.P has received mixed reactions for portraying the retired rapper Thanos (Player #230), who frequently consumes a drug during the games. Somewhat ironically, T.O.P’s real-life scandal was substance abuse.
Korean press: "Apologize to global fans!"
Foreign press: "Thanos best actor!!" https://t.co/SbmRSCaSp8 pic.twitter.com/i4Yh5lpWV1— ᴄʜᴏɪ ꜱᴇᴜɴɢʜʏᴜɴ ꜰᴀɴ (@AFer_JenTOP) December 29, 2024
i swear they forgot to give Thanos a proper script in Squid Games 2 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/qp5c7nqfHe
— ryan 🤿 (@scubaryan_) December 29, 2024
When he began his mandatory military service in February 2017 as a conscripted police officer, news broke in June that he would be “prosecuted without detention” for the use of marijuana, as it was discovered during an investigation of notorious ex-trainee Han Seo Hee that he smoked with her.
During the incident, T.O.P was under mental distress and psychologically stressed out. He met with Han Seo Hee when he was drunk and spontaneously decided to smoke with her.
T.O.P is deeply sorry for what he did and regrets it a lot. He did drink heavily and took Han Seo Hee up on her suggestion [to smoke] but he ended his relationship with Han Seo Hee and stopped smoking marijuana.
— Statement from T.O.P’s lawyer
T.O.P was suspended from police duty while his verdict on his case. Just a few days after the announcement, T.O.P was hospitalized after he was found unconscious in police barracks due to a suspected anti-anxiety medicine overdose of prescribed benzodiazepine.
While T.O.P recovered, he pleaded guilty, admitting he smoked marijuana in four instances in early October 2016 and received two years of probation at his first trial at the Seoul Central District Court later that month. He ultimately transferred from the police department to complete his mandatory service as a public service worker at the Yongsan Arts and Crafts Center in central Seoul on January 26, 2018, after being assigned reservist status by the Ministry of National Defense. When discharged on July 6, 2019, T.O.P’s dispensation took place officially two days later.
5. Oh Dal Su (also romanized as Oh Dal Soo)
Oh Dal Su portrayed Captain Park in Squid Game Season 2. Yet, he was implicated in the 2018 #MeToo movement with an actress accusing him of sexual harassment. He first denied the accusations, but as more victims stepped forward against him in JTBC‘s Newsroom, he apologized for his “wrongdoings.” He remained out of the spotlight for a while after apologizing—until 2019, when his case was closed without a formal investigation due to the statute of limitations expiring as the events happened in the 1990s.
6. Song Young Chang
Veteran actor Song Young Chang joined Season 2 as Im Jeong Dae (Player #100), who became a quick one to hate. Yet, he’s not well-liked in real life either, as he’s actually a convicted sex offender.
In September 2000, Song became the first celebrity to be arrested on charges of prostitution of a minor, as it was reported that he paid $150 USD to have sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old girl twice in a car when he was 42 despite being married with a daughter.
While most similar cases are usually caught by police working undercover, this case was detected as the minor remembered the actor who had been “kind” to them, which made it an essential factor in indicting him. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to 10 months of suspended prison time and two years of probation. Yet, the actor barely served a month in prison before he was out on probation.
After his release, he moved to Canada with his family under the pretext of “studying English.” His acting career continued in Canada, where he appeared in several musicals. On the other hand, Song’s reputation remains tainted as the first person in the Korean entertainment industry to be convicted of underage prostitution. He was banned from significant broadcast channels such as KBS, MBC, and EBS. However, after returning to Korea, Song has consistently landed roles in both K-Dramas and films in recent years.
7. Lee Jin Wook
Lee Jin Wook (also romanized as Lee Jin Uk) has become very popular recently with his roles in Doona!, Sweet Home, and more. His Squid Game 2 role as Kyung Suk (Player #246), a handsome dad and artist with a sick daughter, made fans love him even more.
4yrs years to my sangwook🛐💋
The one character, I can never imagine someone else instead of Jinuk. The way he DEVOURED >>>#SweetHome #sweethome1 #leejinuk #LeeJinWook pic.twitter.com/DOu2mfEP7y— Heditons (@dramalover2000) December 23, 2024
"As handsome as a knight in shining armor"🔥😍
I mean a character with stubble raw look after so long DESERVED THIS LINE🔥🤭
"Dont thank me" Peak Jinuk behavior🤣#LeeJinWook #ParkSunghoon #SquidGame2 #SquidGame #오징어게임 #오징어게임2 pic.twitter.com/3HZvOhw0KA— Fi🌸 (@Fifi1700) December 27, 2024
Yet, many have been against Lee Jin Wook’s recent casting in both Squid Game 2 and Dear Hyeri due to rape allegations.
In 2016, Lee Jin Wook was accused of sexual assault by a 33-year-old female friend after he reportedly went to her apartment to install blinds at night. The court didn’t see her lack of consent as rape, as she offered him a shower and a clean shirt. In their opinion, that was the consent. So, Lee countersued the accuser, claiming it was a false accusation.
Lee was ultimately cleared of the charges in 2016 after the accuser claimed the allegations were false. With his suing her, she even served jail time. Yet, the accuser later claimed that police had coerced her and that she actually was sexually assaulted.
basically, his side completely ruled out the possibility (the fact actually) that he used vi0lence on her, but she didn’t dare to ab*se him in self defense. the legal argument was “if she didn’t want it she could’ve fought him“.
lee jinwook NEVER refuted that consent wasn‘t given pic.twitter.com/8WNpKmdwhL— ۟ (@nwjns1st) August 14, 2024
he sued the victim for defamation.
the first time she was found NOT guilty, because he stated consent wasn’t given & she never sued with the intent of receiving money from him. he appealed this ruling & the 2nd time she was ruled guilty because the r@pe wasn’t vi0lent enough pic.twitter.com/DhaLoJpfYE— ۟ (@nwjns1st) August 14, 2024
8. Park Sung Hoon
Most recently, Park Sung Hoon was added to the list of controversial actors, although he technically hasn’t committed a crime. While Park Sung Soon has received praise for his role as Transgender woman Cho Hyun Ju (Player #120) despite the controversial casting, in Season 2, he left many followers in disgust after sharing an AV cover parody of the show featuring naked Japanese actresses via his Instagram Stories.
Wtf is wrong with this whole cast full of disgusting men https://t.co/tzqXSBY4iU
— 𐙚 327 𐙚 (@Lalalalisa2001) December 30, 2024
feel like there’s no way it’s intentional because you would have to be insane to post this shit while season 2 promotions r ongoing omds 😭 all while playing a trans woman too /?!:? But at the same time i’m #notsurprised after seeing most of that cast be a mess
— tentee 🇵🇸 (@chuusaws) December 30, 2024
Park Sung Hoon’s company, BH Entertainment, addressed the matter after the actor deleted the post. They claimed it was a mistake.
Park Sung Hoon received many DMs on social media and accidentally uploaded it while checking DMs. The actor himself is also surprised and apologizes for making such a mistake in these times. He will be careful not to let something like this happen again.
— BH Entertainment
Read more below.
Popular Actor Disgusts Netizens By Posting AV Parody Cover Of “Squid Game”
