Director Hwang Dong-hyuk of Squid Game has opened up about the controversy surrounding the casting of Choi Seung Hyun (T.O.P), who joined the upcoming season despite past legal issues.

During a press conference for Squid Game Season 2 on August 1, Hwang discussed various aspects of the new season, including its changes and challenges. "It’s been over two years of work, and now with the trailer out, it feels real," Hwang said, sharing his excitement but also the pressure surrounding the new release.

He revealed that Squid Game Season 2 will see Lee Jung Jae’s character, Seong Gi-hun, return with a clear goal of ending the game and seeking revenge. "The biggest change is his purpose. In Season 1, he played to win money, but now he’s back for justice," Hwang explained.

Alongside returning stars like Lee Jung Jae and Lee Byung Hun, the new season will feature fresh faces such as Lim Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, and T.OP..

However, the casting of Choi Seung Hyun sparked debate, due to his past involvement in a drug scandal. Hwang admitted, "I didn’t expect it to cause such a big controversy."

Hwang defended his decision, saying that the incident with Choi Seung Hyun happened years ago, and the actor had served his sentence. "I thought it was possible for him to make a comeback," Hwang shared. "But after seeing the public reaction, I realized my thinking may have been short-sighted."

Despite the backlash, Hwang emphasized that Choi Seung Hyun auditioned for the role and showed great effort and talent. "It wasn’t an easy decision, but after working closely with him, I believe he’s the best fit for the role," Hwang said.

There were also rumors that Squid Game stars Lee Jung Jae and Lee Byung Hun used personal connections to influence the casting. Hwang strongly rejected this, calling the accusation "unfair." He explained, "As a rookie director, I’ve had requests to cast certain people, but I’ve turned down most of them. I cast actors who were the best fit for the role, not based on personal relationships."

Squid Game Season 2 will follow Gi-hun as he returns to the deadly games to seek revenge, facing intense challenges and confrontations with new and familiar characters. The season will drop on Netflix on December 26, with Season 3 expected in 2025.

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IVE is on fire, winning big even when the odds are against them!

On January 30, IVE (Ahn Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo) made waves by taking home their fifth music show win with their pre-release song “Rebel Heart.” Despite M Countdown being off the air and replaced with a highlight show, IVE still claimed the top spot for the final week of January.

The show revealed the winner at the end, and to everyone’s surprise, IVE secured their second consecutive #1 victory!

This major achievement marks a historic milestone for the group, reaching five music show wins with just their pre-release track.

Fans, known as DIVE, couldn’t be more excited, and IVE couldn’t be more grateful. In a statement from Starship Entertainment, the group expressed, "It feels like a surprise gift right before our official comeback. We've only had happy moments promoting 'Rebel Heart,' and we're so thankful for this 1st place win."

They went on to add, "Starting from February 3, we will bring even more happiness to DIVE. The title track 'Attitude' we will release then is a song that we all really love, and we hope DIVE will look forward to it."

“Rebel Heart,” released on January 13, is the pre-release track for IVE’s third mini-album IVE EMPATHY, which will drop on February 3. The song has already been making waves on both domestic and international music charts. It continues to perform well on Billboard, landing at 51st on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and 97th on Billboard Global 200 as of February 1.

But it’s not just chart success that’s getting attention! The “Rebel Heart” dance challenge on TikTok has taken the internet by storm, with the members’ dance challenge videos collectively surpassing 24.96 million views with just two posts.

Additionally, viral challenges like the emoji challenge and the band challenge—where popular Korean bands perform the chorus of “Rebel Heart” in their own style—have sparked enthusiastic responses from fans all over the world.

With their official comeback just around the corner, IVE is poised for even greater success. Get ready for IVE EMPATHY and the double title tracks, including “Attitude,” coming on February 3.

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