Lim Young Woong has finally spoken out after 21 days of silence following the "What?" controversy.

On December 27, the popular singer held his solo concert, Lim Young Woong Recital, at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, where he greeted his fans for the first time since the incident.

This concert marked his first public appearance after the direct message (DM) scandal, which had been a hot topic. During the concert, Lim Young Woong took the opportunity to apologize to his fans, saying, “I’m sorry for causing you worry and concern.”

He continued, “I am a singer. I am someone who sings to bring joy, comfort, and happiness,” expressing his desire to come back stronger and more developed than ever. The crowd responded with loud cheers and applause, showing their support.

The controversy started when Lim Young Woong posted a photo on December 7 to celebrate his pet dog’s birthday. In the photo, he wore heart-shaped sunglasses and stuck out his tongue. On the same day, a candlelight protest for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol was happening, coinciding with a critical vote in the National Assembly.

A netizen shared a DM conversation from Lim Young Woong's account, where they sarcastically asked, “What are you doing at this time?” referring to his dog’s birthday post. Lim Young Woong replied bluntly with, "What?"

The netizen then criticized him, questioning why he was silent during such a significant national event, pointing out that his demographic was particularly affected by recent political tensions.

Lim Young Woong responded, “Am I a politician? Why should I speak up?”

Despite the growing controversy, Lim Young Woong and his agency, Fish Music, stayed silent for 20 days without making any public statements until now.

Fans are glad to see him back and moving forward, as he reassures them with his apology and commitment to bring joy through his music.

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Squid Game 2 is causing a huge buzz, and it’s not just because of the intense game action – it's Gong Yoo’s unforgettable role as "Ddakji Man"!

Director Hwang Dong Hyuk has shared his praise for Gong Yoo’s powerful performance, even claiming that his presence on screen is so strong that it surpasses Lee Jung Jae's in some scenes!

On January 2, Director Hwang Dong Hyuk sat down for an interview about Squid Game 2 at a café in Seoul, and he couldn't stop talking about Gong Yoo’s role.

He explained that the character of "Ddakji Man" was so well-received by fans in Season 1, despite his brief appearance, that Hwang knew they had to dive deeper into his backstory in Season 2.

“I didn’t want to explain everything in detail about who he is and why he became the way he did, but I wanted to leave some clues for the viewers", Hwang shared. He revealed that from the start of the planning for Season 2, he had one goal: to make the first episode focus on Ddakji Man.

Hwang, who had worked with Gong Yoo before on The Crucible, explained that he was beyond impressed with the actor’s return to Squid Game as Ddakji Man.

“His energy on set was just incredible. We wanted his death scene to be really cool, and Gong Yoo gave it everything. I couldn’t believe how well he brought the character to life,” Hwang said.

The director also shared that Gong Yoo told him it was his first time playing a villain. But it wasn’t just any villain – it was a mysterious one, and Gong Yoo was determined to make the role unforgettable.

Hwang was so amazed by Gong Yoo’s performance that he said there were times when the actor’s presence almost overshadowed Lee Jung Jae, who plays the lead role of Gihun.

“There were hardly any NGs (No Good takes) with Gong Yoo. He nailed it in one or two takes, delivering performances with expressions and energy I didn’t expect. It was truly a defining moment in his career,” Hwang confessed. The director added that all the staff could feel the same way – they all knew they were witnessing something special.

Since Squid Game 2 was released on December 26, 2023, it has been breaking records. The show topped the global OTT ranking site FlixPatrol in 93 countries, becoming the first Netflix original series to achieve such a feat.

With Gong Yoo’s incredible performance and the continuation of the high-stakes drama, Squid Game 2 is proving to be just as unforgettable as the first season!

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