Tag: IRL

Since its Netflix premiere on December 26, 2024, Squid Game Season 2 has made a name for itself for more controversial reasons than heartfelt explanations. A considerable faction of the fandom has argued how the first season’s compelling writing urged them to care for the characters despite the actors’ lesser-known popularity status at the time. The sequel, on the other hand, tapped a full-fledged A-list roster of actors or idols from the K-entertainment industry. Its star power has considerably outweighed the captivating storylines and character development arc the K-drama once took pride in.

The controversy pool associated with Season 2 has only stirred more trouble with Park Sung Hoon’s recent “accidental” adult content post on Instagram.

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Despite the several legal cases numerous cast members of the show have been engulfed in the past, they have continued to intrigue audiences worldwide. Two characters introduced this time around are played by actors who once shared a romantic past. Squid Game Season 2’s OTT success has shone the spotlight on Chae Gook Hee and Oh Dal Soo’s years-old connection.

Squid Game 2 cast members who used to date IRL until the #MeToo movement

The former walked into the hit drama’s sequel as #44, a shamanic player, whereas Soo is seen in the shoes of Captain Park. According to South Korean media outlet Isplus.com, the duo was once entangled in a five-year romantic relationship. In 2008, they shared the professional spotlight for a theatrical piece. Thereafter, Chae and Oh developed a close friendship. Their 2012 hit movie The Thieves again pulled them back together for an acting gig. Soon, the two embarked on the friends-to-lovers track, publicly announcing their romance in 2016 and revealing that they had been dating for three years. Their love story was short-lived from thereon, as they broke up in 2018 after five years of dating.

Oh Dal Soo’s problematic past

The same year, Oh Dal Soo (or Oh Dal Su) got embroiled in sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations during the #MeToo movement. Several projects with him in the star cast at the time were consequently impacted. The controversy-riddled actor was fired from tvN’s My Ahjussi, also starring IU and Lee Sun Kyun. On top of that, numerous other films were reshot or abandoned midway. Meanwhile, the actor vehemently denied any and all allegations levelled against him, following up with an extended hiatus from the entertainment industry.

In 2019, his agency, CJ Entertainment, announced that Oh would be making his return to acting with an independent film. The announcement dropped around the same time as authorities’ confirmation that they’d ended the investigation linked to his case due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Oh was inevitably declared “not guilty.” In addition to his participation in Squid Game 2, the controversial actor also took on a supporting role in this year’s Korean movie I, the Execution (or Veteran 2), with Jung Hae In in the leading man’s role.

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As initial reports of Oh Dal Soo’s inclusion in the Netflix K-drama made headlines months before the scheduled December premiere, his casting news whipped up a storm of negative reviews. Hallyu enthusiasts bombarded social media with comments like, “What is this drama, are they running some kind of image laundering service for criminal actors?”

Squid Game Season 2 male cast and their controversies with no end

Squid Game Season 2’s star-studded cast welcomed back returning actors Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hyun, Wi Ha Joon and Gong Yoo. Newcomers included Yim Siwan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Sung Hoon, Jo Yuri, Kang Ae Sim, Lee Jin Wook, Park Gyu Young and others. Of these, Jung, the leading star of the show, has previously been implicated in multiple DUIs and assault cases. He also came under fire for fraud allegations in 2024. Meanwhile, a former girlfriend sued Lee Byung Hyun in 2009 for deceiving her into a sexual relationship, causing physical and emotional harm with false promises of marriage. The central Squid Game actor was also called a chronic gambler.

Lee Jin Wook, who joined the show as Player 246, was once accused of sexual assault. Former BIGBANG member T.O.P., aka Choi Seung Hyun, ran into trouble with the law for using marijuana during his mandatory military term in 2017. Song Young Chang, another Season 2 addition as Player 100, was convicted of underage prostitution. And then, O Yeong Su, the elderly Player 001 from Squid Game Season 1, was charged with sexual misconduct.