Park Sung-hoon, who stars in the latest season of Squid Game, has been forced to apologize after sharing p*rnographic imagery on social media.
Park plays the transgender character Hyun-ju in the highly anticipated second season of the dystopian drama.
The post, which was quickly deleted, featured the cover of a Chinese X-rated parody titled Squirt Game, per the Daily Mail.
The adult film reportedly includes multiple explicit scenes, including simulated sexual violence. The incident has sparked significant backlash in South Korea, where Park is a celebrated actor.
Park addressed the situation through a statement from his management agency, BH Entertainment.
"Actor Park accidentally posted the image, which he received in a direct message, by mistakenly pressing the wrong button," the agency explained, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily.
The statement added that Park was "shocked" by the incident and deeply regretted the error. "He is deeply sorry for making such a mistake in these circumstances and promises to be especially careful to ensure it doesn’t happen again," the agency said.
Despite the swift apology, the backlash has been intense in South Korea, with critics citing the extreme nature of the parody film as particularly troubling.
The controversy comes at a pivotal moment in Park's career, as he continues to rise to A-list status thanks to roles in acclaimed Korean dramas like The Glory and Memorials.
This year, Park starred in Queen of Tears, a melodrama that became Netflix's most-watched Korean series of 2025.
His upcoming project, the romantic comedy The Tyrant's Chef, has already attracted attention for its pairing of Park with actress and K-pop star Im Yoona.
Directed by Jang Tae-yoo, known for the iconic My Love from the Star, the series was expected to be a major hit. However, some fans are now threatening to boycott the show in light of the scandal.
Amid the fallout, Park has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Hyun-ju in Squid Game season two.
The new season delves deeper into the mysterious origins of the deadly competition, with Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae) returning to uncover the truth while attempting to save lives.
If you loved season two and are desperate for the final installment already, then you'll be pleased to know that the release date may have been leaked.
According to Comic Basics, a now-deleted video uploaded to Netflix Korea’s official YouTube channel briefly disclosed June 27 as the premiere date for the next season.
The swift removal of the video suggests an internal misstep, but it has fueled speculation that fans won’t have long to wait.
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