Squid Game Season 2 has continued its successful Netflix run, on track to potentially surpass the viewership of the first season. While it hasn’t quite matched the original in quality, the sequel remains strong, introducing a few new and exciting characters. One of the newcomers is Park Sung-hoon, who plays Cho, a transgender contestant. Recently, Park found himself in hot water after allegedly, and accidentally, posting an image from a Japanese Squid Game porn parody titled Squirt Game to his Instagram profile for a brief moment. Although the actor quickly deleted the post, the internet doesn’t forget. Even Hwang Dong-hyuk, the writer and director, expressed dismay over the incident.
According to Koreaboo, citing the Korea Economic Daily, Park shared the cover image of the adult parody on Instagram back in December. The actor later issued an apology for the mistake:
"I am speaking now with a heavier and more nervous heart than ever before. I deeply regret causing harm to the production, which so many people—including the cast, crew, and staff—worked hard to create.
I came across a problematic photo in my messages while rushing during a lunch break to stay on schedule. This happened during the show’s premiere period. I thought the image was shocking and potentially problematic. While discussing the series’ reception with one of the organizers, I believe I accidentally posted the picture to my Instagram story while forwarding it.
Naturally, I did not watch the video. I don’t have another account, so this isn’t a case of me attempting to upload the image from another profile. I deeply regret and blame myself for the inconvenience this misstep has caused. This incident will haunt me moving forward. I reflect on it with a heavy heart and promise to be more mindful of what I say and do in the future to ensure such mistakes never happen again."
Park also stated that he hasn’t yet spoken directly with the director about the incident but has sent an apology through the production team. Hwang Dong-hyuk, however, was clearly upset.
Koreaboo also reported on Hwang’s reaction, noting that the article includes the cover image from the parody. While it contains adult content, the risqué parts are obscured with hearts. The parody, Squirt Game, is a play on the original title, Squid Game. Here’s what Hwang had to say:
"It was uncomfortable to see. Of course, I was aware of similar porn parodies being made overseas since the first season. As these are foreign productions and not domestic ones, we’ve been unable to take any action against them, which is frustrating. They undermine everything the original work stands for. I haven’t yet spoken with Park Sung-hoon about this, but I am curious to hear why he posted something like that."
While this incident likely won’t lead to Park’s dismissal, it’s safe to assume he’ll face a reprimand behind the scenes. A potentially bigger issue for the series could arise if Vietnam bans it over a dialogue referencing the Vietnam War.
