Squid Game 2 Actor Park Sung-hoon Addresses Instagram Controversy in an Emotional Interview

Actor Park Sung-hoon has issued a public apology regarding the recent controversy involving a Japanese adult film parody.

According to reports by The Korea Economic Daily, Park addressed the issue during an interview on January 8 at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, held to promote Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2.

The controversy arose after Park shared an image parodying Squid Game on his Instagram Story on December 30. The image depicted a woman wearing the iconic green tracksuit from the show, exposing parts of her body, which sparked widespread discomfort among viewers.

At the start of the interview, Park stated, “I approached this session with a heavy and nervous heart.” He added, “I feel deeply sorry for potentially harming a project that so many producers, staff members, and actors have worked so hard to create.”

He also explained the circumstances surrounding the incident. “I was rushing to leave for an afternoon schedule when I came across the image in a direct message (DM). At the time, we were actively exchanging feedback about the show’s reception. The image was shocking, and I intended to forward it as a warning but accidentally uploaded it to my Story,” he clarified.

Park emphasized, “I did not watch the video, nor do I use secondary accounts, so this was not a case of mistakenly uploading it to the wrong account.”

During the interview, Park became visibly emotional, pausing before saying, “I’ve been consumed with regret and self-blame for causing discomfort through my mistake. I’ll carry this weight and ensure nothing like this happens again as I continue my career as an actor.”

His agency, BH Entertainment, also released a statement shortly after the incident, explaining that the upload was a mistake made while checking DMs. However, some netizens questioned the explanation, pointing out that Instagram’s system does not allow accidental uploads during DM checks.

Amid growing backlash, BH Entertainment revised its stance, acknowledging a communication error. Despite this, public criticism has persisted.

When asked if he had spoken directly with Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk about the issue, Park responded, “I tried calling him, but I couldn’t reach him. Since the director is very busy with his schedule, I decided not to follow up immediately. I plan to contact him again once the matter has settled.” He added, “For now, my feelings have been communicated to him through my agency.”