Recently, Netflix organized an exchange and promotion event for the hit series Squid Game in Korea, with the participation of director and screenwriter Hwang Dong Hyuk and almost all of the main cast of the 3 films.
They include Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hun, Park Hae Soo, Jung Ho Yeon, Lee Yoo Mi, Yim Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, T.O.P (Choi Seung Hyun)...
At the event, T.O.P - the actor who played former drug addict rapper Thanos in Squid Game 2 - expressed: "I am very grateful to director Hwang Dong Hyuk for being able to be a part of this wonderful work. I learned a lot.
When asked if he regrets Thanos not being able to appear in part 3, T.O.P frankly replied: "I did a lot of bad things in part 2 and was punished for that. I don't regret being absent in the third part."
T.O.P's participation is particularly noteworthy, as it is his first time appearing at a public event in Korea in eight years since the 2017 marijuana scandal.
In 2023, as soon as the news of T.O.P participating in Squid Game 2 caused great controversy. Dispatch confirmed that T.O.P's presence in the cast of Squid Game 2 was due to his close relationship with the male lead Lee Jung Jae.
The actor born in 1972 later denied this information. Director Hwang Dong Hyuk also emphasized that he did not choose the actor based on relationships, T.O.P was chosen entirely through casting (playing test).
By the end of 2024, when Squid Game 2 was released, T.O.P was absent from all promotional events. This made the audience think that the producer removed T.O.P from media events to avoid controversy.
But about a month later, T.O.P suddenly conducted an interview (through online newspapers) with the Korean media, taking time to explain the recent scandals and relationship with Big Bang.
At the end of May this year, T.O.P surprised everyone when he appeared at the "TUDUM 2025" event held in Los Angeles (USA) with the "Squid Game 3" cast, even though his character was eliminated in the second part.
After that, T.O.P was even chosen by Netflix to become a promotional face for K-content (Korean content) on Netflix worldwide. T.O.P starred in a promotional video with TV star Martha Stewart and rapper Lil Yachty. The videos received a lot of interaction.
It can be seen that T.O.P is actively returning to entertainment activities. Recently, in an interview, the male singer excited fans when he hinted at the release of his upcoming solo album.
Although fans understand that T.O.P's chance to return to work with Big Bang is very low, fans still expect that one day the 4 members of Big Bang (G-Dragon, Daesung, Taeyang, T.O.P) will reunite on the music stage.
The international audience's reaction to T.O.P was also very positive after his role in "Squid Game".
