Park Sung-hoon’s Agency Admits False Explanation, May be Punished for P*rn Distribution?
On December 31, a representative from Park Sung-hoon’s agency told media outlet Star News, “Yesterday, we explained that the actor accidentally uploaded the porn poster while checking his DMs,’ but we’d like to elaborate further,” providing a second clarification.
According to the official, Park Sung-hoon received the poster of a “Squid Game” themed Japanese AV (adult video) via his Instagram DM (direct message). Judging it as potentially problematic, he attempted to forward it to the company’s manager, downloading the image in the process. However, instead of deleting it after forwarding, he accidentally uploaded it.
This explanation raises questions about why a 39-year-old adult (born in 1985) felt the need to share explicit material received via DM with his agency.
Regarding this, the agency explained, “Since it involved his work and seemed to be spreading inappropriately, he likely thought it was necessary to address it as a potential issue.”
Previously, on December 30, Park Sung-hoon uploaded an explicit poster featuring Japanese AV actors dressed in costumes parodying Netflix’s “Squid Game “ while depicting sexual acts. The poster explicitly showed the actors’ bodies, including private parts, and posed in graphic positions. On top of that, the AV in question also involves brutal content like r*pe.
Park Sung-hoon recently starred in “Squid Game 2”, released on December 26, playing the role of Hyun-joo, a transgender participant in the game seeking funds for gender reassignment surgery.
The controversial post was deleted approximately one minute after being uploaded. However, as Park Sung-hoon has nearly 2 million followers, the explicit image quickly spread among fans despite the swift deletion.
The actor’s agency responded promptly within 30 minutes of the incident, attributing it to an “accident” while Park Sung-hoon was checking his DM. Then, when asked why DM review and Instagram story uploads, which require separate actions, led to the post, the agency replied, “It is possible to upload content directly from the DM window.”
The incident has cast a shadow over Park Sung-hoon’s upcoming projects, including the tvN drama “The Tyrant’s Chef”, slated for release in the latter half of next year. The series co-stars Girls’ Generation’s Yoona and has yet to begin filming. Many drama fans are now calling for Park Sung-hoon’s removal from the cast.
Meanwhile, possessing or viewing adult content such as Japanese AV is not punishable under Korean law. However, posting or distributing such material online is subject to penalties under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, as well as the Criminal Act.
Specifically, the distribution of obscene materials is prohibited under Article 44-7, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the Information and Communications Network Act. Violators may face up to one year of imprisonment or a fine of up to 10 million KRW (approx 6,777 USD), as stipulated in Article 74 of the same law.
Additionally, if adult content is protected by copyright, acts of illegal reproduction or distribution can also result in penalties for copyright infringement. In particular, the possession or viewing of illegal recordings or child pornography constitutes a criminal offense, requiring special caution.