Choi Seung-hyun “‘Ogem2’ casting controversy, thought about getting off but decided to repay the trust” [DA: Interview ①]

Actor Choi Seung-hyun (TOP), formerly of group Big Bang, reflected on his past hiatus.

On the 15th at 10 AM, an interview with Choi Seung-hyun, who appeared in season 2 of the Netflix series ‘Squid Game’, was conducted at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Choi Seung-hyun met with the press for the first time in 9 years since participating in an interview to commemorate the release of his third regular album ‘MADE’ as a member of group Big Bang in 2016. As an actor, it had been a full 11 years since an interview for the movie ‘Tazza: The Hidden Card’ in 2014.

Choi Seung-hyun, who completed his neat styling with neat pomade hair and a black suit, greeted the press that day looking very nervous. Even after more than 20 reporters entered, he stood there, not knowing what to do. He carefully sat down and said, “It’s been so long. I’ve been very careful and thought hard about this interview for the first time in 11 years, and I’ve come here with a heavy heart. I wanted to find a suitable time to meet you and interview you, but I’m sorry for being late. I’ll tell you the truth. Thank you for taking the time. Please take care of me.”

The reason Choi Seung-hyun is confessing his feelings like this is because of his controversial past. First, in July 2017, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison and 2 years of probation for smoking marijuana. He was forcibly discharged from the military police after being judged unfit for re-service after being evaluated, and later completed his alternative service as a social service worker. Since then, he has continued to work alone in the SNS world without any special activities in the entertainment industry.

In 2019, Choi Seung-hyun was criticized by a netizen on SNS for saying, “Just reflect on yourself. Stop using SNS. When someone commented, “Don‘t even come back,” he directly replied, “Yes! I have no intention of doing so either. Just look at pictures of animals.” In 2020, during a live broadcast on SNS, he said, “I won’t make a comeback in Korea. I don‘t want to make a comeback at all. If I do this, another article will come out, so someone next to me is stopping me. Please don’t write articles about people who don‘t have any thoughts.” He also appealed, “People are so mean. I wish I could find love.”

Since then, Choi Seung-hyun has seemed to be taking steps unrelated to the entertainment industry, such as participating in the wine business and the first civilian moon flight project. In May 2023, he officially announced his withdrawal from Big Bang, confessing, “I already said I was leaving. Since last year, I’ve been facing a new chapter in my life.” While doing so, he clearly drew a line by marking an X (X) in the article capture image that referred to him as ‘Big Bang T.O.P.’.


When news broke that Choi Seung-hyun, who had declared his withdrawal from Big Bang and retirement from the entertainment industry, would join the new season of ‘Squid Game’, the public immediately expressed their resistance. In response, Director Hwang Dong-hyeok, who produced ‘Squid Game’, defended Choi Seung-hyun, emphasizing that he had appeared with courage.

However, the negative reactions were even stronger after the work was released. This is because the character of Thanos played by Choi Seung-hyun was a drug offender who seemed to reflect his life as a former rapper. There was a series of negative views about the drug acting performed by an actual drug offender, and there was even controversy over his acting ability. However, some overseas viewers praised Thanos, played by Choi Seung-hyun, as an attractive character.

Choi Seung-hyun said about the late interview, “I had many concerns and was carefully considering the right time. I asked the people involved to come here. I felt it was the right thing to do to meet and talk to reporters. It‘s true that I was afraid because it had been so long since I’ve been here,” and confessed, “My heart was heavy as I watched the casting controversy. I also felt a sense of responsibility as I had more time to reflect.”

He said, “I first received an audition offer through the production company. When I first read the script, I also thought a lot about the character setting. It‘s a character that has to face my shameful past, and to be honest, it’s a character that could become an ‘image stuffed animal,’ so I thought a lot about it and hesitated as a human being.” “However, I thought that this character was destined for me, so I filmed an audition video and sent it in. After that, I met the director and had a meeting. After several meetings, the director asked me to record and send him another tape, and I recorded and sent the character I designed. That‘s how I was cast,” he explained.

Choi Seung-hyun revealed that he considered leaving the show after receiving negative responses after the lineup was revealed. He said, “I felt very ashamed that the names of my seniors who had nothing to do with me were mentioned. At the time, I felt like I was going to collapse and thought about leaving the show. I was very nervous, but I thought it was my duty to repay the time and trust the director had given me while designing the character of Thanos. I made a difficult decision because I thought it was my duty to work hard with the production team.”

When asked if he was considering a return because it was a new series of the already global hit “Squid Game,” Choi Seung-hyun said, “Rather, for me, it was ”Squid Game,“ so I felt burdened, cautious, and worried. “It’s true that I hesitated because the burden was doubled,” he said. “There was a time when no one looked at me for 10 years. But Director Hwang Dong-hyeok reached out to me for the first time. I was able to gain courage from the courage and trust the director gave me. Since acting is a job that is written, I thought that repaying that trust and doing well was another homework.”

Meanwhile, Season 2 of ‘Squid Game’ is a story about the fierce confrontation between ‘Ki-hoon’ (Lee Jung-jae), who vows revenge and returns to the game, and ‘Frontman’ (Lee Byung-hun) who greets him, and the real game that begins again. Season 2 was released at the end of last year, and Season 3 is scheduled to be released this year.

Jeong Hee-yeon, Donga.com reporter shine2562@donga.com
Photo｜THE SEED