Amidst the criticisms surrounding T.O.P joining the cast of “Squid Game 2”, more controversies arose surrounding “inside connections”.
On June 29th, the official Instagram account of Netflix Korea revealed the additional casting lineup for “Squid Game 2”. In particular, the new lineup includes T.O.P (Choi Seung Hyun), alongside Park Gyu Young, Jo Yuri, Lee Jin Wook, Lee David, Kang Ae Sim, Noh Jae Won, and Won Ji An.
So far, there have been harsh criticisms directed at T.O.P’s casting news. T.O.P was prosecuted in 2017 on charges of smoking marijuana with former YG trainee Han Seo Hee and was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a 2-year suspended sentence. Since then, T.O.P has entered a period of self-reflection with no new project.
In addition, some speculate that T.O.P joined “Squid Game 2” due to his close relationship with Lee Jung Jae.
In particular, Dispatch reported exclusively about the connection between T.O.P, Lee Jung Jae, as well as the actor’s girlfriend, Lim Se Ryung.
According to the report, in 2014, the secret dating place for Lee Jung Jae and Im Se Ryoung was T.O.P’s house in Hannam-dong. The couple allegedly held a couple gathering at T.O.P’s luxurious villa, and Lee Jung Jae and T.O.P were known as close friends in the entertainment industry, in spite of their age difference.
A report even claimed that Lee Jung Jae actively sought to cast T.O.P in the past, but it ended in failure. However, with the global sensation caused by the first season of “Squid Game”, the actor was able to exert his influence, especially as the show’s protagonist.
On the other hand, it was reported that Netflix earned over 900 million dollars with “Squid Game”. As a result, Lee Jung Jae, the protagonist of Season 1 and 2, secured a guarantee of over 1.3 million dollars per episode from Netflix.
It is common for casting to occur based on personal connections in the entertainment industry. However, it’s different in T.O.P’s case. T.O.P implied several times, after his drug-related incident, that he would retire from the entertainment industry. He terminated his contract with his former agency, YG Entertainment, last year, and announced his departure from BIGBANG.
In addition, netizens are comparing T.O.P’s situation to that of Yoo Ah In, who was dropped from Netflix’s “Hellbound” due to a drug controversy.
All in all, “Squid Game”, which recorded the highest viewing time in Netflix’s history, is experiencing ongoing rumors and noise regarding the casting of Season 2, contrary to expectations.
Source: Nate
