Choi Seung-hyun “Lost 30s... I want to live a healthy and stable life” [DA:Interview④]

Actor Choi Seung-hyun (TOP), formerly of group Big Bang, has cautiously announced his comeback.

In an interview for the second season of the Netflix series ‘Squid Game’, held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul at 10 AM on the 15th, Choi Seung-hyun looked back on his hiatus and said, “My 30s were a lost time for me. I went through a time of sincere reflection along with a deep sense of shame and self-deprecation,” and confessed, “I was healed while making music during that time. I want to let my fans hear my music.”.

Choi Seung-hyun, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison and 2 years of probation in July 2017 for smoking marijuana, is currently serving his military service. He was forcibly discharged from the military police after being deemed unfit for re-service after being evaluated for re-service. He later completed his alternative service as a social service worker. After that, he withdrew from the group Big Bang and announced on SNS that he had no intention of returning to the entertainment industry. However, through the Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 released at the end of last year, he virtually reversed his retirement and made a comeback.


Choi Seung-hyun said, “For the past 7 years, I‘ve been practically cut off from social life and have lived only at home and in my music studio. I just worked on music in the dark. It was the only time I could breathe when I was making music and in front of the microphone. I made music to live. In that dark mind and bitter pain, I spent my time making the music I wanted to listen to. I made a ton of songs. Of course, I think I should let my fans hear them.”

Choi Seung-hyun, who spent more than half of his 30s on hiatus, said, “I want to live my upcoming 40s as an ordinary young man in Korea more healthily and stably than anyone else. He expressed his desire to become a stable top. When asked, “What does Choi Seung-hyun think a stable life is?” he answered, “When I wake up in the morning, there are no bad articles about me on portal sites. Not feeling anxious.”

Choi Seung-hyun revealed that he fills his daily life with a healthy and balanced diet, regular exercise, and positive thoughts in order to live a healthy and stable life. He said, “I also think that it is my responsibility to comfort and heal the hearts of my wounded fans. I can’t tell you exactly yet, but I think that day will come soon.”

Regarding his next work, he said, “There’s nothing we’re talking about. Rather than talking about my plans for the future, I think today is a time to have an honest conversation about ‘Squid Game’ and the various things that have happened so far.” He added, “I think I’ll be able to tell you when the time comes.”

Lastly, he promised and pledged to change his appearance. Choi Seung-hyun said, ”Because the fans didn’t realize that I left because I felt sorry for the team (Big Bang), there were misunderstandings that piled up and hurt me. I want to tell you that there won‘t be any more misunderstandings in the future because the reporters listened to my story and were able to talk candidly through this event.“

Meanwhile, Season 2 of ‘Squid Game’, which Choi Seung-hyun appeared in, 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. He gave a passionate performance as Thanos, a drug dealer who started out as a rapper.

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