Controversies Behind Cast Members of Netflix’s Squid Game

Netflix released season 2 of Squid Game on Dec. 26, 2024, and fans were thrilled to welcome the beloved Seong Gi-hun, also known as Player 456, back to their televisions. The show, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, features hundreds of financially desperate characters who are invited to participate in a mysterious competition for a massive cash prize.

The players are forced to compete in childhood games, with failure resulting in elimination, which, as revealed in the first episode of the show, means death for those who don't succeed. Squid Game fans were overjoyed to see returning characters and new faces, but a few casting decisions have raised eyebrows for various reasons.

Viewers of the popular show have expressed concerns across social media platforms, suggesting that the casting of certain actors in Squid Game Season 2 could unintentionally overshadow the show’s core themes, particularly its exploration of morality, corruption, and societal inequality.

Below, we’ll delve into the key accusations and controversies surrounding the cast members of the show.

Park Sung-hoon

Park Sung-hoon portrays Cho Hyun-ju in Squid Game Season 2, a transgender character played by a non-LGBTQ+ actor. The show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, revealed that he faced significant difficulty in finding authentic trans representation for the role.

While some viewers have noted the casting choice, it has not sparked major controversy, likely due to the cultural context in South Korea, where attitudes toward LGBTQ+ issues tend to be more conservative compared to countries like the United States.

Instead, Park Sung-hoon found himself in a pickle when he posted an explicit parody photo of Squid Game to his Instagram account. Even though the post was deleted in a timely manner and public apology was issued, many fans are not convinced that the event was on accident. P*rnography is illegal in South Korea.

Lee Jin-wook

In 2016, a woman accused Lee Jin-wook of forcing himself on her. The woman, known as Oh, presented physical evidence to police and took Jin-wook to court. Jin-wook denied the allegations and a long legal battle followed.

However, Oh later admitted to fabricating the assault claims, subsequently asserting that the police had coerced her into making a false confession. As a result, she was sentenced to eight months in prison for making a false accusation, after Jin-wook filed a countersuit for defamation. While the truth of the assault remains unclear, the controversy has resurfaced.

In August 2024, X user @waitaminnie posted, “Let me bring attention to Lee Jinwook, a successful actor starring in Sweet Home and Squid Game Season 2, even though he actually r*ped someone. Backlashes and campaigns against him have never worked. Please get him out of the industry,” following the announcement of the cast for Squid Game Season 2.

Additionally, in September 2024, X user @tastefullysaucy posted a comment in response to a Squid Game Season 2 poster, claiming, “One of the main leads, Lee Jinwook, is a r*pist who sued the woman he r*ped for defamation even after he himself admitted she didn’t give him consent. She was found guilty and sentenced because the r*pe wasn’t violent enough, ergo, by Korean legal standards, it isn’t r*pe.”

Oh Young-soo

In 2022, Oh Young-soo won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Oh Il-nam, the seemingly sweet, elderly man in Squid Game season one. However, the actor's real-life story took a dark turn.

In March 2024, Young-soo was charged with sexual misconduct for an incident that occurred in 2017. The charges stemmed from accusations made by a woman who alleged that the actor had touched her inappropriately during a meeting. Young-soo was convicted and sentenced to eight months in prison, two years of probation, and 40 hours of sexual violence education.

Lee Byung-hun

The Frontman, also known as Player 001 in Squid Game season 2, is portrayed by actor Lee Byung-hun. In 2015, Byung-hun was involved in a highly publicized blackmail case, where he was extorted by a group of women over private video recordings. These women, who were his mistresses, secretly filmed him and later attempted to blackmail him for money.

In the ensuing legal battle, Byung-hun was forced to testify in court, and the women were ultimately convicted of blackmail. However, the scandal also exposed Byung-hun's infidelity, leading to significant backlash from the public and media.

Lee Jung-jae

Lee Jung-jae is best known for playing Seong Gi-hun, the main character in Squid Game. However, his personal life has been marred by controversy. In 1999, he was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) after crashing his car. Then, in 2002, he faced another DUI charge, which led to his driver's license being revoked. Jung-jae has also been accused of assault, though the evidence remains unclear.

Has Squid Games Announced a Third Season?

Exciting news for all Squid Game fans: Season 3 is set to drop this June! The wait won't be long before we finally witness *spoiler alert* the epic showdown between Gi-Hun and his formidable rival Frontman, who, as we saw in Season 2, had been undercover as Player 001. Grab your popcorn and get ready for a wild confrontation.