Director Hwang Dong Hyuk, the mastermind behind Squid Game 2, recently opened up about the controversy surrounding actor Park Sung Hoon’s social media mistake, where he accidentally posted an adult film cover concept related to the hit series.

During an interview on January 2nd, Director Hwang shared his honest thoughts on the unexpected incident. The interview took place at a cafe in Seoul, where he reflected on Squid Game’s massive success.

The first season became a global sensation after its release in September 2021, and it still holds the number one spot on Netflix. Hwang, who directed and wrote the series, even revealed he had a dental issue during season 1 and had to have eight teeth removed, surprising many of his fans.

After over three years, Squid Game 2 finally premiered on December 26, 2024. However, just four days later, Park Sung Hoon made a blunder that caused quite a stir.

The actor uploaded a concept image for an adult video (AV) based on Squid Game on his social media, which he quickly deleted. Despite removing the post, it was already spread across online communities, causing controversy.

When asked about his reaction to Park Sung Hoon’s mistake, Director Hwang said, "Even during season 1, something like this happened overseas. It’s not uncommon when a famous work like this is released".

He went on to express his displeasure, saying, "It’s unpleasant. It completely destroys the meaning of the work itself."

Hwang also mentioned that he had not spoken with Park Sung Hoon about the incident. "It seems like someone sent him the image, but I haven't heard how it ended up being posted. Honestly, I do want to know why he made that mistake," Hwang added.

Park Sung Hoon later explained that he had accidentally uploaded the image while checking his direct messages. His lack of relevant features on his social media led to further confusion.

Eventually, he clarified that he had received the image, realized it was problematic, and intended to forward it to the company. However, it was mistakenly uploaded to his account.

As the controversy continues to unfold, many are waiting to hear how Park Sung Hoon will address the situation in his upcoming interviews. With Director Hwang expressing his displeasure, all eyes are on the actor’s next steps.

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BTS’s V is proving once again why he’s a global music powerhouse! His song “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo Shin)” has officially surpassed 210 million streams on Spotify, showing its long-lasting popularity.

On February 26, Winter Ahead crossed the 210 million stream mark on the world’s biggest music platform, Spotify. Since its release, the song has been charting for 91 consecutive days on both the Global Spotify Chart and Europe’s Apple Music Daily Song Chart, proving its strong presence.

Originally released on November 29, 2023, Winter Ahead made a huge impact on year-end charts for 2024. It debuted at No. 99 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, topped Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart at No.1, and ranked No. 62 on Billboard’s Holiday Top 100.

Over in the UK, the song entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 86, while securing No.1 on the Official Singles Downloads Chart and No.2 on the Singles Sales Chart, proving its incredible digital sales power.

The music video for Winter Ahead also became a hot topic! V transformed into a sculptor, delivering a deep and emotional performance with his expressive acting, pulling fans into the song’s atmosphere.

Despite being 6 minutes and 22 seconds long, the video went viral, ranking No.1 on the "Music Video Trending Worldwide" chart.

On TIDAL, a global high-quality streaming platform, Winter Ahead made history as the longest-running K-pop song at No.1 on the Global Top Video chart.

It also topped Top Video charts in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Australia, and Singapore.

Even Billboard couldn’t resist the charm of Winter Ahead! The song was featured in "The 27 Best Winter Songs for the Season," with Billboard praising it as "evoking the feeling of the first day of winter, with harmonies as fresh as a snowflake."

They also noted that "its impact will last far beyond December 25."

Additionally, Winter Ahead was voted No.1 on Billboard’s ‘2024 Fan-Favorite Songs’ list, proving that fans can’t get enough of V’s music.

With this, V has now charted three songs on Billboard’s Holiday Hot 100, following Christmas Tree (2021) and his cover of White Christmas. He is officially the only K-pop artist to achieve this!

Even more impressively, he holds the record as the only K-pop artist to have three songs reach No.1 on Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart, solidifying his dominance in the holiday music scene.

With Winter Ahead continuing to shine worldwide, V once again proves why he’s the ultimate ‘Winter King’ of K-pop.

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