Only on the first day of November, media attention across Asia was completely captured by the trailer of Squid game 2. The new cast, games and daring but equally brutal challenges have raised audience expectations that season 2 will once again become a global phenomenon. In addition to the attraction strengthened by the success of the previous season, a part of the public vehemently criticizes this project due to the appearance of several stars with shocking scandals: some have criminal records but continue to work freely, while others are still involved in legal issues.
Song Young Chang: Child Prostitution
Actor Song Young Chang, who appeared for only a few seconds in the trailer, sparked a fierce backlash due to his appalling criminal record. In September 2000, he was accused of paying 150,000 won to a 16-year-old girl he met at a vacant lot near a lakeside park in Ilsan-gu, Goyang-si, Kyunggi-do. Subsequently, he had intercourse 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 despised 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 (TOP): Illegal drug use
June 1, 2017 is an unforgettable day for TOP fans and Big Bang followers as he was officially investigated by 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 the time, he persistently maintained that what he smoked was only an e-cigarette, not marijuana.
Authorities subsequently conducted a drug test on TOP’s hair, obtaining a positive result. In the second hearing on July 19, 2017, the Seoul District Court sentenced him to 2 years of probation and 10 months in prison if he violated probation within those two years. He was also fined 12,000 won. This sentence sparked public outrage because it was too lenient and did not serve as a sufficient deterrent.
Oh Dal Soo: sexual harassment
In 2018, as the #MeToo movement grew globally, the true face of “predator” Oh Dal Soo came to light. On February 26 of the same year, JTBC’s Press room aired an interview with a woman (referred to as A) who accused Oh Dal Soo. A stated, “Not only was I molested, but I was also raped.” Later, a second victim, Uhm Ji Young, a theater actress and teacher at a preparatory academy, also came forward with similar allegations.
Despite being repeatedly mentioned in the media, Oh Dal Soo management insists these are unfounded claims. Subsequently, the police stated that the actor had been acquitted of all charges. Nonetheless, his career almost hit rock bottom as every director “crossed him off” their lists and the public continued to believe the accusations and boycott all the programs in which he appeared.
Oh Young Soo: sexual harassment
Oh Young Soo, born in 1944, is lauded as a “living legend of theater” in South Korea. In 2021, he gained widespread recognition by taking on the role of the “final boss” in the hit film Squid game Season 1. The immense success of the worldwide blockbuster seemed to promise that the male star would enjoy his twilight years in the spotlight. However, it turned out that he had to pay the price for the horrible actions he committed. Specifically, Oh Young Soo was investigated for sexually assaulting women under 50 as of November 2022.
From star at the peak of his career, to the “final boss”. Squid game he lost everything due to a scandal.
According to the Suwon District Court, in the summer of 2017, Oh Young Soo went to Daegu city and went for a walk with a woman. There, he committed sexual abuse, hugging her and kissing her cheeks without the plaintiff’s consent. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 8 months in prison but received a suspended sentence with 2 years probation for sexual harassment. Additionally, Oh Young Soo was required to complete a 40-hour sexual assault treatment program. This sentence cost him the opportunity to return 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 an affair with the woman but insisted it was consensual. With a confident and head-high attitude when appearing before the media, the actor was found 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 a suspended sentence for defamation, attacking his honor and reputation and making false statements.
However, this shocking incident became a “stain” that has haunted the actor to this day. Despite the court’s verdict and his proactive apology, Lee Jin Wook is struggling to regain the public’s trust, with rumors suggesting he used his influence to push the victim behind bars.
Lee Jung Jae: Fraud, drunk driving, assault allegations and sensitive remarks about the LGBT community
The male protagonist of Squid game has stunned many with a series of “scandals” as long as a “rope”. Even after the first season of the series rose to fame, Lee Jung Jae continued to be embroiled in lawsuits, with the courts yet to issue a final verdict.
On a popular online forum in South Korea, a netizen posted a photo of a 1999 newspaper article that “exposed” the actor’s unsavory past. The article reported that Lee Jung Jae, then 26, was charged with driving while intoxicated. His blood alcohol concentration at the time was 0.222%.
In another article published in 2002, the report detailed Lee Jung Jae’s second drunk driving accident. According to police, he had consumed three bottles of beer at a bar in Apgujeong-dong with friends.
Furthermore, the account holder claimed that Lee Jung Jae was also involved in two cases of assault and attack on others.
In 2000, Busan Haeundae police accused Lee Jung Jae (25) of dragging a 22-year-old woman out of her car in front of B nightclub and kicking her with his foot, causing injuries that took two weeks to recover. . Earlier, in November 1999, in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, Lee Jung Jae had been drinking with Mr Park, 36, and three others at a bar. After getting heavily drunk, Lee Jung Jae caused a disturbance, argued and was accused of assaulting Mr. Pyo and Mr. Park. In both fights, Lee Jung Jae was quickly released without detention.
Additionally, many international netizens found articles quoting the actor making homophobic comments during a 2013 interview with Vogue Korea. A segment of 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 he died) I told X: ‘Don’t be homosexual anymore. Isn’t that enough? But it’s not easy at all.’”
In August 2024, having become one of Korea’s most powerful stars, Lee Jung Jae continued to be embroiled in lawsuits over fraud allegations. The Gangnam Seoul Police Department confirmed it is investigating a complaint filed by Kim Dong Rae, CEO of TV production company RaemongRaein, accusing actor Lee Jung Jae and Park In Kyu, former CEO of WYSIWYG, of fraud Studios. According to the complaint, Lee and Park used their positions in the industry to “groom” Kim into transferring the shares to them. However, after purchasing the shares, Lee and Park attempted to “push” Kim off the board of directors.
In response to these accusations, Lee Jung Jae countersued Kim for defamation. Currently, this lawsuit is still ongoing and remains a focal point of public attention.
Lee Byung Hun: infidelity and persecution of young women
Among the list of Squid game actors involved in shocking scandals, Lee Byung Hun’s case does not involve legal issues but rather ethical ones. In late August 2014, while already “established in family life” with star Lee Min Jung, Lee Byung Hun was unexpectedly blackmailed by two rising stars, Lee Ji Yeon and Dahee, demanding a staggering sum of 5 million won.
Although he was the victim, the public’s main attention was on the cause of the accident. Lee Byung Hun was found to be the one actively pursuing and having extramarital affairs with the two young women. What made it even more bitter was that, at the time, Lee Min Jung was pregnant with their first child. The actress was so angry that she returned to her mother’s house.
At 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.
