What makes 'Squid Game' male cast so problematic
What's the story
The second season of Netflix's global sensation Squid Game has been marred by controversy owing to the past legal issues and scandals of several cast members.
The show's lead actor, Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun/Player 456), has a history of multiple DUIs and assault cases.
In 1999, he was detained for driving under the influence and crashing his BMW into another car.
His blood alcohol content was found to be 0.22%, significantly higher than South Korea's legal limit of 0.05%.
Ongoing issues
Lee's legal troubles continued into the 2000s
Lee's legal troubles didn't end with his DUI incidents. In 2002, he faced another similar case of DUI, and his license was revoked both times.
He has also been found guilty of assaulting a man and a woman in separate incidents injuring them. These cases were reported when he was around 25-30 years old.
Earlier this year, Lee was embroroiled in a legal dispute with Raemongraein's CEO, a drama production company he acquired.
Legal battles
Lee Byung-hun faced lawsuit and extortion attempt
Lee Byung-hun, another main character in Squid Game, was sued by his ex-girlfriend Kwon Mi-yeon in 2009. She alleged he tricked her into a sexual relationship with a false promise of marriage, even inflicting physical and emotional harm.
She even called him a chronic gambler and demanded 100 million Korean won in damages.
TV host Kang Byung-kyu stormed Byung-hun's shooting set of K-drama Iris with goons after rumors emerged that "Kang was behind the feud between Byung-hun and Kwon."
Legal victory
Byung-hun won counter-suit and faced another extortion attempt
Byung-hun counter-sued Kwon and Kang, eventually winning the case that made them responsible for extortion.
He was also cleared of gambling charges in 2010.
However, in 2014 (when his wife-actor Min-jung was pregnant), K-pop group GLAM's Dahee and model Lee Ji-yeon demanded money from him for a compromising video where he was allegedly making lewd comments toward them which they secretly recorded.
Both women were sentenced to prison and GLAM got disbanded as a result of this incident.
Misconduct allegations
O Yeong-su and T.O.P faced charges of misconduct
O Yeong-su, who portrayed Player 001 in Squid Game's first season, was charged with sexual misconduct for allegedly assaulting a woman in 2017.
He was accused of inappropriately hugging, making lewd comments, and kissing the victim over multiple incidents. He was indicted in 2022 and sentenced to an eight-month suspended prison term in 2024.
Former BIGBANG member T.O.P, who played rapper Thanos/Player 230 on the show, was prosecuted without detention for using marijuana during his mandatory military term in 2017.
Past controversies
Lee Jin-wook and Song Young-chang's legal issues
In 2016, Lee Jin-wook was accused of sexual assault by a 33-year-old friend. She alleged the actor, who plays Kyung Suk/Player 246 in the show, had come to her apartment to install blinds at night. She later accused him of rape after they drank together.
The court rejected her claim calling it consensual considering she offered him a shower and a clean shirt.
In 2000, Song Young-chang (Im Jeong-dae/Player 100) became the first celebrity to be convicted of underage prostitution.
Recent incident
Park Sung-hoon's recent controversy and company's apology
The latest controversy was sparked by Park Sung-hoon, who portrays Cho Hyun-ju/Player 120 in Squid Game Season 2.
He courted controversy after he "mistakenly" posted an AV cover parody of the show in his Instagram Stories featuring a parody with nude Japanese actors.
His company, BH Entertainment, released an apology statement and the post was deleted immediately.
This incident joins the list of controversies involving cast members of Netflix's hit series Squid Game.