Squid Game controversies swell with Park Sung Hoon's porn parody ...

Squid Game actor Park Sung Hoon’s latest Instagram debacle has fuelled the controversy bank associated with the breakout Netflix hit series. The K-drama star uploaded a parody Japanese adult video (AV) cover of the Hwang Dong Hyuk directorial series, which has since been deleted. The December 30 Instagram post comes a day after 179 out of 181 people aboard the Boeing 737-800 lost their lives after the Jeju Air flight crash-landed at Muan International Airport in South Korea. Numerous K-pop fans returning from the 2024 Asia Artist Awards ceremony are also believed to be among the victims of the Jeju Air flight 7C2216 crash travelling from Bangkok to the South Korean airport. Passengers on board the aircraft reportedly included a total of 173 South Koreans.

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The unprecedented development surrounding Park comes hot on the heels of the show’s recently released sequel being review-bombed. The Hallyu celebrity promptly deleted his social media post featuring an X-rated portrayal of several women in NSFW scenes, parodying the Squid Game poster. Despite the actor’s swift reaction to the post, his Instagram Story update instantly went viral online, with screenshots of the same spreading online like wildfire. Many considered the possibility of his profile being hacked. However, the theories were debunked after Sung Hoon’s agency confirmed that he had indeed accidentally uploaded the post himself.

Squid Game actor Park Sung Hoon's agency responds

A representative from the South Korean entertainment company BH Entertainment told DongA.com, “Park Sung Hoon received an overwhelming number of direct messages (DMs) on his social media. While checking the DMs, he accidentally uploaded the image.

“The actor himself was deeply shocked and feels extremely sorry for making such a mistake, especially in these circumstances. He will be more careful in the future to ensure this does not happen again.”

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Seemingly no end to Squid Game controversies

Even prior to these consequences, Sung Hoon’s involvement in the K-drama as a transgender character awaiting gender affirmation surgery generated massive buzz. In addition to The Glory standout’s introduction to Season 2, premiering on December 26, the star-packed cast welcomed newcomers Yim Siwan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Gyu Young, Lee Jin Wook, former BIGBANG member TOP, aka Choi Seung Hyun, and others.

Squid Game has previously been shrouded in a contentious light owing to TOP’s past marijuana use and subsequent charges. The controversial streak was at one point even tied to leading star Lee Jung Jae’s fraud allegations and other staff-related public fiascos.

Meanwhile, South Korea has begun its week-long national mourning period in the wake of the December 29 air disaster.