‘Squid Game’ star Park Sung-hoon recently issued an apology after sharing an explicit parody of the Netflix series on social media.
The second season of Netflix’s hit series ‘Squid Game’ premiered on December 26. Lee Jung-jae returns as Gi-hun, determined to destroy the ‘Squid Games’ once and for all. The new season also introduces a host of new contestants, including former K-pop musicians T.O.P from BigBang, ZE:A’s Yim Si-wan, and Iz*One’s Jo Yuri, along with Park, who plays Hyun-Ju in the show.
Hyun-Ju is a transgender woman and former Marine who enters the ‘Squid Games’ to pay for gender-affirming surgery.
However, Park faced significant backlash after reportedly sharing an explicit image from a parody of ‘Squid Game’ on his Instagram Stories. The image, a DVD cover of the Japanese adult movie ‘Squirt Game,’ was quickly deleted.
Some fans initially speculated that his account had been hacked, according to Pink News. However, the timing of the post worsened the criticism, as Korea JoongAng Daily reported that it occurred during a seven-day mourning period for the Jeju Air plane crash on December 29.
Critics voiced their disapproval on Twitter, with some calling for Park to be removed from his upcoming TV series, ‘The Tyrant’s Chef,’ as reported by Dexerto.
In response, Park’s agency, BH Entertainment, issued a formal apology: “Actor Park accidentally posted the image, which he received in a direct message, by mistakenly pressing the wrong button. The actor himself was also very shocked. He is deeply sorry for making such a mistake in these circumstances and promises to be especially careful to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Park’s casting as a transgender woman also sparked backlash, as many social media users criticized the decision to cast a cisgender man for the role.
‘Squid Game’ creator Hwang Dong-hyuk addressed these concerns in an interview with TV Guide, explaining: “In the beginning we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor. When we researched in Korea, there are close to no actors [who] are openly trans, let alone openly gay, because unfortunately in Korean society the LGBTQ+ community is still marginalised and more neglected, which is heart-breaking.”
Netflix confirmed to NBC News that they worked with trans and LGBTQ+ counselors during the creation of the second season.
