Only T.O.P Criticized Despite “Squid Game” Being a “Criminal Haven”?

After its release, “Squid Game 2” has become the talk of town, earning mixed reviews ranging from “thorough letdown” to having “surpassed season 1”. The series also sparked numerous controversies, ranging from its disappointing writing of female characters to questionable rumors about appearance fee.

Among the cast, however, it is former BIGBANG T.O.P that was most harshly criticized – not only for his acting, but also for his criminal past. However, many are pointing out that T.O.P’s previous misdeeds are nothing compared to other cast members of the show, to the point it’s no exaggeration to call “Squid Game” a “criminal haven”.

Below is a brief summary of the issues related to actors that appear on “Squid Game”:

Song Young Chang: Underage Prostitution

Actor Song Young Chang, who appeared for only a few seconds in the trailer, sparked a fierce backlash due to his appalling criminal history. In September 2000, he was charged with paying 150,000 won to a 16-year-old girl he met in an empty lot near a lake park in Ilsan-gu, Goyang-si, Kyunggi-do. Afterward, he engaged in relations with her twice in a Grandeur vehicle.

Song Young Chang was sentenced to 10 months in prison and 2 years of probation. From an actor at the peak of his career, he became a criminal scorned by the public. Song Young Chang was banned from appearing on major national television channels KBS, EBS, and MBC, and could only work on SBS or in theater productions. He was the first male actor in the Korean entertainment industry convicted of soliciting a minor. After his release, Song Young Chang moved to Canada with his family to study English. He appeared in a few musical theater productions before returning to Korea.

Choi Seung Hyun (T.O.P): Illegal Drug Use

June 1, 2017, is an unforgettable day for T.O.P’s fans and Big Bang followers as he was officially investigated by the Seoul court for illegal marijuana use. The singer was accused of using marijuana four times with his ex-girlfriend Han Seo Hee at his home in Seoul in October 2016. At that time, he persistently claimed that what he smoked was only an electronic cigarette, not marijuana.

Subsequently, the authorities tested T.O.P’s hair for drugs, yielding a positive result. At the second court hearing on July 19, 2017, Seoul’s district court sentenced him to 2 years of probation and 10 months in prison if he violated his probation within those two years. He was also fined 12,000 won. This sentence sparked public outrage for being too lenient and not serving as a sufficient deterrent.

Oh Dal Soo: Sexual Harassment

In 2018, as the #MeToo movement surged globally, the true face of “predator” Oh Dal Soo was exposed. On February 26 of the same year, JTBC’s Newsroom aired an interview with a woman (referred to as A) who accused Oh Dal Soo. A stated, “I was not only harassed but also raped.” Following this, a second victim, Uhm Ji Young, a theater actress and teacher at a preparatory academy, also came forward with similar accusations.

Despite repeatedly being mentioned in the media, Oh Dal Soo’s management insists these are baseless claims. Later, the police declared the actor was cleared of all charges. Nonetheless, his career nearly hit rock bottom as every director “crossed him off” their lists, and the public continued to believe the accusations and boycott any programs he appeared in.

Oh Young Soo: Sexual Harassment

Oh Young Soo, born in 1944, is lauded as a “living legend in the theater” in South Korea. In 2021, he gained widespread recognition when he took on the role of the “final boss” in the blockbuster Squid Game Season 1. The immense success of the global hit seemed to promise that the male star would enjoy his twilight years in the limelight. However, it turned out that he had to pay the price for the horrifying actions he committed. Specifically, Oh Young Soo was investigated for sexually harassing women under 50 years old starting from November 2022.

From a star at the pinnacle of his career, the “final boss” of Squid Game lost everything due to scandal.

According to the Suwon District Court, in the summer of 2017, Oh Young Soo went to the city of Daegu and went for a walk with a woman. There, he engaged in sexual abuse, hugging, and kissing her cheeks without the plaintiff’s consent. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 8 months in prison but received a suspended sentence with a 2-year probation period for sexual harassment. Additionally, Oh Young Soo was required to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program. This sentence cost him the opportunity to return in Squid Game Season 2 and effectively ended his career in the entertainment industry.

Lee Jin Wook: Sexual Assault

The year 2016 marked a crisis period in the career of actor Lee Jin Wook. At that time, he was violently forced and assaulted by a 30-year-old woman. Naturally, his management company denied the allegations, while the 8x male star admitted to having a relationship with the woman but insisted it was consensual. With a confident and head-held-high attitude when appearing before the media, the actor was declared innocent in 2018. Subsequently, the woman who sued Lee Jin Wook for sexual assault was sentenced to 8 months in prison and 2 years of suspended sentence for defamation, tarnishing his honor and reputation, and making false statements.

However, this shocking incident has become a “stain” that has haunted the actor to this day. Despite the court’s verdict and his proactive apologies, Lee Jin Wook struggles to regain public trust, with rumors suggesting that he used his influence to push the victim behind bars.

Lee Jung Jae: Fraud, Drunk Driving, Assault Allegations, and Sensitive Remarks About LGBT

The male lead of Squid Game has left many stunned with a series of “scandals” as long as a “rope.”

Earlier in August 2024, Kim Dong Rae, CEO of RaemongRaein, the production company behind JTBC’s drama “Reborn Rich”, filed a complaint in June against Lee Jung Jae for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (Fraud) at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station.

Kim’s side claims that Lee Jung Jae and Park In Gyu deceived him by promising corporate growth and joint management.

Later on, Lee Jung Jae’s side argued that there was no promise to acquire a management company under Company A or secure investment from Company B as a condition for transferring management rights from Kim.

In response to these allegations, Lee Jung Jae has countersued Kim for defamation. Currently, this lawsuit is still ongoing and remains a focal point of public attention.

Meanwhile, even after the first season of “Squid Game” became famous, Lee Jung Jae continued to be embroiled in lawsuits, with courts yet to issue a final verdict.

In a popular online community forum in South Korea, a netizen posted a photo of a 1999 newspaper article “digging up” the actor’s unsavory past. The article reported that Lee Jung Jae, then 26 years old, was charged with drunk driving. His blood alcohol concentration at the time was 0.222%.

In another article published in 2002, the report detailed Lee Jung Jae’s second incident of drunk driving. According to the police, he had consumed three bottles of beer at a bar in Apgujeong-dong with friends.

Additionally, the account holder mentioned that Lee Jung Jae was also involved in two cases of assaulting and attacking others.

In 2000, the Busan Haeundae Police accused Lee Jung Jae (25 years old) of dragging a 22-year-old woman out of her car in front of Nightclub B and kicking her with his foot, causing her injuries that required two weeks to recover. Previously, in November 1999, in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, Lee Jung Jae had been drinking with Mr. Park, 36, and three others at a bar. After becoming heavily intoxicated, Lee Jung Jae caused disturbances, quarreled, and was charged with assaulting Mr. Pyo and Mr. Park. In both altercations, Lee Jung Jae was quickly released without detention.

Furthermore, many international netizens have found articles quoting the actor making homophobic remarks during a 2013 interview with Vogue Korea. A segment from that interview mentioned Lee Jung Jae talking about his deceased friend (Y) and trying to convince him to abandon his homosexuality. “Some time ago, X went to heaven… (Before passing away) I told X, ‘Don’t be homosexual anymore. Isn’t that enough? But it’s really not easy at all.'”

Lee Byung Hun: Infidelity and Pursuing Young Women

Among the list of Squid Game actors embroiled in shocking scandals, Lee Byung Hun’s case does not involve legal issues but rather ethical ones. At the end of August 2014, while already “settled in family life” with the star Lee Min Jung, Lee Byung Hun was unexpectedly blackmailed by two rising female stars, Lee Ji Yeon and Dahee, demanding a staggering 5 million won.

Although he was the victim, the public’s main focus was on the cause of the incident. It turned out that Lee Byung Hun was the one who actively pursued and had extramarital affairs with the two young women. What made it even more bitter was that, at that time, Lee Min Jung was pregnant with their first child. The actress was so angry that she returned to her mother’s house.

In the court session on January 15, 2015, Lee Ji Yeon and Dahee were sentenced to 14 and 12 months in prison, respectively. Lee Byung Hun also proactively sought a reduction in their sentences to allow them to be released early. On the other hand, Lee Min Jung chose to forgive her husband to preserve their happiness.