T.O.P in “Squid Game 2”: Lee Jung Jae denied, Lee Byung Hun silent, Park Myung Soo supported
Former BIGBANG T.O.P caused a stir in the entertainment industry by declaring his return to acting despite his drug scandal.
According to Netflix on June 29th, T.O.P has been cast in the Netflix original drama series “Squid Game 2” Season 2. Following his participation in the script reading for “Squid Game” on June 23rd, the idol-actor will begin filming in the second half of the year.
Regarding this, comedian Park Myung Soo, who is known to be a fan and close friend of BIGBANG, cautiously expressed his support for T.O.P’s return. In particular, he discussed the lineup of “Squid Game 2” on the June 30th broadcast of KBS Cool FM’s “Park Myung Soo’s Radio Show”, saying that controversies surrounding T.O.P’s casting is “difficult to talk about”.
“It’s ambiguous to say something like this, but both sides have a point. However, T.O.P should make a comeback again”, the comedian also added.
So far, the response to Park Myung Soo’s statements regarding T.O.P has been sharply divided. The majority of listeners and prospective viewers of “Squid Game 2” questioned whether a major casting opportunity like “Squid Game 2” should be given to a drug offender who crossed the boundaries of the law, and why prospective viewers of “Squid Game 2” should be rewarded by the unexpected return of a drug offender.
Meanwhile, on June 29th, the day of the casting announcement, actor Lee Jung Jae, who played a central role in “Squid Game” Season 1 and is expected to play a crucial role in Season 2, faced criticism. In particular, he was suspected of having personal connections with T.O.P and influencing the cast lineup.
In response, Lee Jung Jae immediately issued an official statement and directly refuted the claim. The actor’s agency stated, “The casting of the work is the director’s and the production company’s authority”, adding, “we would like to reiterate that the claim of Lee Jung Jae being involved in the casting of ‘Squid Game 2’ is not true.”
Moreover, according to a coverage by Newsen, Lee Jung Jae and T.O.P used to have a close relationship at one point, but they haven’t had any contact for several years.
Meanwhile, Lee Byung Hun, who is also suspected of being involved in T.O.P’s casting, has remained silent for two days. Unlike Lee Jung Jae, whose relationship with T.O.P has cooled down over the years, Lee Byung Hun is still maintaining a close relationship with T.O.P, according to testimonies from several entertainment industry insiders.
In addition, the former CEO of Lee Byung Hun’s current company is now managing Hiin Entertainment, and Lee Jin Wook and Won Ji An, who will also appear in “Squid Game 2”, are under the two aforementioned agencies.
Regarding this, Lee Byung Hun’s agency stated to Newsen on the 29th that they have no official position, neither denying nor confirming Lee Byung Hun’s involvement in the casting.
At the same time, “Squid Game” director Hwang Dong Hyuk, has not made any comment.
Netflix, the production company, is also unable to escape strong criticism from the public. However, it is known that they are pushing forward without paying much attention to this criticism.
The OTT platform simply stated to Newsen on the 29th, “The casting of actors in Netflix works is determined by the creators, including the director, writer, and production company, according to their creative intentions, and Netflix respects that.”
Source: Daum
