“Squid Game” Director Addresses Complaints About T.O.P’s Casting

Director Hwang Dong Hyuk recently addressed the controversy surrounding the casting of T.O.P (also known as Choi Seung Hyun) in Squid Game 2. The decision has sparked heated debate and scathing reviews online ever since his participation was announced.

While international viewers have shown more openness toward Thanos (T.O.P’s character) many South Korean viewers have been critical due to both cultural differences and T.O.P’s past.

Hwang explained that exaggerated, cartoonish characters, like Thanos, tend to be well-received internationally but often feel out of place to Korean audiences, who generally prefer grounded and serious portrayals. Despite certain scathing reviews, Hwang defended his creative choice, stating that Thanos was intentionally designed to be eccentric and over-the-top.

Even during Season 1, there were some cartoonish and exaggerated characters, and people in Korea said they felt out of place. They found such characters awkward. However, overseas audiences love these types of characters. In Korea, where serious, realism-based performances are the norm, the cartoonish and exaggerated nature of such characters may feel ‘awkward’ or ‘overdone.’ That’s the kind of role Thanos plays, and that’s how I directed it.

He’s always in a euphoric state, similar to some of the quirky rappers you see on Show Me the Money. I combined elements of such figures into this character. Since he’s on drugs, he’s ‘high’ and over-the-top. I think he acted according to my intentions. While some viewers in Korea may find it overacted or excessive, I wanted to create a character that could evoke such polarizing reactions. I believe younger audiences or international viewers might find the character memorable and even enjoyable. Based on current reactions, foreign viewers seem to have a favorable impression of Thanos and find him striking.

— Hwang Dong Hyuk

The casting process for the character was not straightforward. Hwang shared that his team initially struggled to find an actor who could embody the role of a troubled rapper involved in drugs, a storyline meant to mirror contemporary social issues.

We held auditions, but Seung Hyun wasn’t initially considered for the role. I wanted to create a group reflecting current issues among young people, such as the frenzy over cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies, and drugs, which are also problems overseas. We held auditions for a long time, looking for someone who could portray a hip-hop-loving, drug-using character, but I couldn’t find anyone who met my criteria.

— Hwang Dong Hyuk

T.O.P’s name surfaced during this search, and while Hwang was initially hesitant due to the actor’s years-long hiatus following his marijuana conviction, he eventually reached out. After multiple auditions and some hesitations about T.O.P’s readiness, Hwang decided he was a good fit for the role.

Then someone on my team mentioned Seung Hyun and brought him to my attention. They said, ‘Hasn’t he been out of the public eye for a while?’ and explained that after his (marijuana) incident, he’d taken a long hiatus. Since he used to act and rap, they suggested contacting him through the production company. I wasn’t expecting much, considering he had been away for a long time and had quit everything after the marijuana incident. I think he spent a lot of time reflecting on whether he could play a rapper ruined by drugs, a role that was so similar to his own story.

— Hwang Dong Hyuk

Regarding the public backlash tied to T.O.P’s past, Hwang acknowledged that he had underestimated the level of criticism. He noted that, historically, many public figures in South Korea have resumed their careers after time away, and he believed that six years was a sufficient period for reflection.

Up until the press conference, I didn’t realize T.O.P hadn’t been forgiven to this extent. When I cast him, I researched the history of celebrities who had resumed their careers after drug scandals, going back to the Park Chung Hee administration. At that time, there were crackdowns on marijuana use, and many were allowed to return to the industry after about four years. Given that it’s been six to seven years for Seung Hyun, I thought enough time had passed for people to accept him. However, I was surprised by the backlash.

After seeing the controversies and his comments about not making a comeback in Korea, I realized, ‘This is a bigger issue than I thought.’ But personally, I couldn’t just say, ‘You can’t be part of this because you haven’t been forgiven.’ I wanted to work with him to create something that could show whether he could earn forgiveness. In the end, it’s up to the public to decide if they’ll accept him again after seeing his work.

— Hwang Dong Hyuk