TOP had previously been on hiatus for almost nine years.
Squid game 2 was officially released on Netflix on December 26th. The final season shows Lee Jung Jae returning as Seong Gi Hun to lead a new all-star cast into the next round of deadly games.
The cast has been a hot topic since its release, including ex-BIG BANG‘S SUPERIOR. SUPERIOR played Thanosa rapper who lost money in a cryptocurrency investment scam, receiving negative reviews about his performance.
Its reception worldwide compared to that in Korea was also discussed.
The difference in reactions to TOP in “Squid Game 2” between Korean and international outlets sparks a debate
Recently, the idol actor received praise directly from the season’s director for accepting the role.
In an interview with PEOPLEdirector Hwang Dong Hyuk spoke about the star’s role, calling it his comeback after his previous drug scandal. In July 2017, TOP was sentenced to 10 months in prison and a two-year suspension from mandatory military service after being found guilty of marijuana use.
Hwang shared that he thought it took a lot of courage for the star to play a character with many similar characteristics and who has substance abuse problems, as shown on the show.
I feel like it took a lot of courage for him, in a way, to play a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative even for him as a person. So I think it took a lot of courage for him to take on that role.
—Hwang
He also revealed his thoughts on TOP’s acting after a long hiatus, praising him for his performance.
Despite the long hiatus, I have to say that, as a director, he performed very impressively and I am very satisfied with what he did with the character.
—Hwang
You can read more about TOP’s character below.
TOP Apparently references BIGBANG in “Squid Game 2”, despite the previous issues
