The new season of the popular K-drama Squid Game is gaining global attention, achieving 126.2 million views in just 11 days. Player 230, known as Thanos in the show, is portrayed by Choi Seung-Hyun, a former member of the K-pop group BIGBANG. He returns to acting in this Netflix series after facing legal issues related to drug use. While some fans are excited about his comeback, reactions among viewers in South Korea have been mixed.
T.O.P., widely recognized for both his acting and singing, gained significant attention when he joined the cast of Squid Game Season 2. Many have praised him for his courage in returning to the screen, but others have struggled to overlook the controversies surrounding him. Recently, he experienced an awkward moment during a television broadcast, adding to the challenges he has endured as a Korean artist.
Squid Game 2 cast on MBC’s show
Recently, a Korean news site, Allkpop, reported an interesting moment on the show ‘Live This Morning’ aired by MBC. During a segment discussing the newest season of the popular show ‘Squid Game’, they decided to blur out the face of T.O.P. While the segment praised the show’s success on Netflix and the awards it received, it also touched on some controversies, particularly regarding the casting of actors who have had legal issues in the past.
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The blurred face of T.O.P. by MBC
In this section, the discussion focused on T.O.P. and the criticism he received upon returning to the spotlight with his recent project. Viewers expressed their frustrations, which seemed to affect their opinions on his acting skills.
During the broadcast, MBC showcased some memorable scenes from ‘Squid Game’, featuring actors Lee Jung-Jae, Im Si-Wan, and Park Sung-Hoon. Interestingly, T.O.P., who plays a character named Thanos, was noticeably blurred out in those scenes.
In South Korea, there are no official laws that require TV networks to blur the faces of celebrities who have been convicted of crimes. However, the country’s major broadcasting companies, such as KBS, MBC, and SBS, have their own guidelines about how to handle the appearance of famous people involved in legal issues.
Fans Slams MBC
Many netizens expressed their anger towards MBC and wrote on X (Twitter), “It doesnt matter! TOP is going to be back to the fullest .. great reborn like a Phoenix… Squid Game was the entrance of his return for the Big gate,” another one added insupport, “It makes me mad that they keep doing this. It really hurts his feelings. They need to stop it.”
Another one wrote, “Why didn’t they blur Snoop Dogg when he recorded a song and music video with PSY? Why didn’t they blur Wiz Khalifa at MAMA 2016? I swear, the Korean media wants to destroy TOP, and it’s not even funny anymore. The guy is struggling with serious issues, and they still harass him.”
T.O.P. Controversy
T.O.P., a member of the K-pop group BIGBANG, faced legal issues for marijuana use in 2017, resulting in a 10-month prison sentence and two-year probation. After this, he left the group and the entertainment industry, stating he wouldn’t return. However, his casting in the second season of ‘Squid Game’ has brought his past back into the spotlight.
