“It's up to the individual to decide“— Lee Byung-hun denies involvement in T.O.P’s controversial casting in Squid Game 2

Squid Game’s Hwang In-ho, played by Lee Byung-hun, has officially denied any involvement in casting BIGBANG’s T.O.P for the series. In an interview on January 8, 2025, Lee addressed the controversy surrounding the casting decision. Reporter Jung In-young reported this via Insight.

Both Lee Byung-hun and fellow lead actor Lee Jung-jae were speculated to have influenced T.O.P’s casting due to their longstanding connections with him. The controversy intensified, given the idol's history with drug-related issues, leading many to question whether nepotism played a role in his selection for Squid Game 2.

Lee Byung-hun has now put the rumors to rest, asserting that he had no part in the casting decision. He emphasized that as a seasoned actor, he believes it is inappropriate for actors to interfere in casting choices, a stance he has upheld throughout his career and intends to maintain. In his own words:

"It's upto the individual to decide."

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Lee Byung-hun dismisses Squid Game 2 casting controversy

Actor Lee Byung-hun has addressed the controversy surrounding alleged nepotistic casting for Squid Game 2. On January 8, an interview with Lee Byung-hun, the lead actor of Netflix’s original series Squid Game 2, was held at a café in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. During the interview, Lee dismissed allegations of "nepotistic casting" and expressed his firm stance.

The controversy arose after it was revealed that T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun), who is known to have personal connections with Lee Byung-hun and Lee Jung-jae, was cast in Squid Game 2. This sparked speculation that personal relationships influenced his casting.

Unlike Lee Jung-jae, who immediately denied the claims as "groundless," Lee Byung-hun had remained silent at the time, which only fueled the controversy.

Addressing the issue, Lee stated,

"I did not recommend [T.O.P] or anything like that. Whether or not to express my stance is a personal choice. I don't always feel the need to voice my opinion just because I have one. As an actor with over 30 years of experience, I believe it is overstepping boundaries for an actor to involve themselves in casting decisions."

He further elaborated, saying that there are instances when a director might ask that they are considering a particular person for the role alongside yourself, hence asking your opinion about them.

However, this is not about the person's capabilities but more about ensuring there are no personal conflicts between the actors, given they will need to work closely together. According to him, for an actor to suggest that someone suits a specific role to a director is overstepping.

Regarding the criticism directed at T.O.P's acting, Lee commented,

"I believe he showcased all the aspects the character needed to portray."

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Squid Game success

According to Netflix’s top 10 Tudum website, Squid Game 2 recorded 58,200,000 views (calculated by dividing viewing hours by the total runtime of the series) between December 30 and January 5, securing the top spot in the Netflix global top 10 series rankings for both English and non-English content. It appeared in the top 10 lists in 93 countries.

In just its first week, Squid Game 2 ranked as the seventh most popular non-English Netflix series of all time. Within 11 days, it reached 126,200,000 views, climbing to second place. Meanwhile, Season 1 has also regained popularity, ranking second in the global top 10 non-English series category.

In Squid Game 1, Lee Byung-hun played the mysterious "Frontman," who oversaw the participants while wearing a black mask. In season 2, however, his character sheds the mask and participates in the games alongside Seong Gi-hun while concealing his true identity.