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After Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game 2 actor Lee Byung-hun’s agency, BH Entertainment, released their own cryptic statement after accusations that the Mr Sunshine actor pulled strings to bring BIGBANG’s T.O.P on board for the second season of the show. For those unfamiliar, on June 29, Netflix officially announced the final lineup for the much-anticipated second season, with a bunch of new and talented actors joining the old cast members.
While most fans are happy with the overall casting, BIGBANG’s T.O.P’s casting has not gone down well due to his controversial past and unavailability from the Korean entertainment scene for the past many years. After Dispatch’s explosive report on how Lee Jung-jae is helping "save" T.O.P by casting him in Squid Game 2, Lee Byung-hun’s name is doing the rounds for allegedly recommending the BIGBANG singer.
In response to the reports, BH Entertainment gave a rather curt statement, stating:
“We have no comments."
Squid Game 2’s casting ruffles feathers yet again with Lee Byung-hun’s alleged involvement in T.O.P's casting
After Dispatch revealed that Lee Jung-jae used his star power to cast BIGBANG’s T.O.P in Squid Game 2, several Korean media outlets revealed that the actor may have put in a good word for the Fantastic singer. Additionally, with regards to BIGBANG’s T.O.P and Lee Byung-hun, it is no secret that they have been close friends and acquaintances for years now.
The duo starred in the 2009 K-drama Iris, an action-romance-thriller starring Kim Tae-hee, Jung Joon-ho, Kim So-yeo, and Kim Seung-woo, amongst others. The movie was widely successful at the time of its release.
Lee Byung-hun got acquainted with T.O.P and it is believed that they have maintained this friendship for more than a decade now. In fact, last year, the two stars were seen enjoying the esteemed company of the Japanese billionaire Maezawa Yusaku, who is sponsoring a civilian mission to the moon with T.O.P as one of the spaceship's passengers.
Interestingly, according to industry insiders, T.O.P is currently working with CEO Kang Jung-woo of Hiin Entertainment for his management in Korea. Kang Jung-woo was formerly an officer at BH Entertainment, Lee Byung-hun's agency. It is reported that Lee Byung-hun asked Kang Jung-woo to look out for T.O.P., which possibly led to his casting in Squid Game 2.
However, unlike Lee Jung-jae’s agency, which issued a more detailed statement claiming the actor had not even met T.O.P in years and bumped into him at Squid Game 2’s script reading, BH Entertainment issued just a brief statement in response to the news.
Fans have also pointed out Netflix’s hypocrisy and double standards. The streaming giant wasted no time in firing Yoo Ah-in from Hellbound for his recreational use of drugs, and more recently, Kim Sae-ron was edited out of Bloodhounds for her DUI incident.
However, Netflix still went ahead and cast T.O.P for Squid Game 2 despite his controversial career. He was previously caught smoking marijuana and was charged with a 2-year probation sentence for illegal drug use. Post that, he went on hiatus, having fulfilled his mandatory military service and claiming that he had quit the entertainment industry for good.
T.O.P will be making his return to the acting world with Squid Game 2 after his last acting job, BIGBANG Made: The Movie, which was released in 2016.
Netflix has maintained a dignified silence about Squid Game 2’s casting
Despite Dispatch’s exclusive report about BIGBANG’s T.O.P’s controversial casting in the sequel and actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun’s alleged involvement, streaming giant Netflix has maintained a dignified silence.
Squid Game 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to Squid Game, which premiered in September 2021. It revolves around 456 contestants who have signed themselves up for this deadly survival game, which involves them playing a bunch of childhood games for the chance to win the mammoth ₩ 45.6 billion or US $35 million.
The massive success of the first installment has allowed Netflix to renew the series on a larger scale and cast more prominent actors in important roles. However, audiences and stakeholders are waiting for the streaming giant to clear the air about T.O.P’s casting in the series.
