[SBS Star] Park Sung Hoon Apologizes in Tears for 'Squid Game' Adult Film Cover Upload; Explains Further

Actor Park Sung Hoon broke down in tears while apologizing for uploading "Squid Game" adult film posters on Instagram. 

On January 8, Park Sung Hoon sat down for an interview with the press. 

During the interview, Park Sung Hoon addressed the controversy that began on December 30, when he posted and quickly deleted an Instagram Story featuring an adult film cover parodying "Squid Game."

The cover featured multiple images of nude women, some posing provocatively in highly suggestive ways, with elements inspired by "Squid Game" outfits.

Park Sung Hoon began by saying, "First, I would like to sincerely apologize for my significant mistake, which caused discomfort and concern for many. I deeply regret my actions, especially considering the enormous effort that the production team, staff, and actors put into this project. I feel very nervous to speak about it now because I worry that I may cause further harm."
Explaining the incident, Park Sung Hoon said, "That day, I was getting ready to go out for lunch when I came across the image in one of my DMs. The series had just been released a few days earlier, and I was exchanging feedback about viewers' reactions with my agency staff. The image shocked me, and I felt it could lead to problems, so I saved it on my phone to report it to them. Somehow, and I still don't fully understand how, it ended up being uploaded to my Story."

He continued, "I was so shocked that I immediately called the person in charge at my agency and explained what happened. I deleted the post right away. Of course, I didn't actually watch the video. There's been speculation that I was supposed to upload it on my private account and made a mistake, but I don't have a private account. I only have one account."

Park Sung Hoon admitted, "Regardless of the circumstances, it was my mistake, and I take full responsibility. I caused concern for many and have spent the past few days reflecting, filled with regret. Even now, I'm still reflecting on my actions. I realize the seriousness of what happened and promise to act with caution in the future to prevent something like this from happening again."
The controversy actually intensified due to his agency, BH Entertainment's initial explanation, which claimed that Park Sung Hoon accidentally uploaded the image while checking the influx of DMs. 

It was pointed out that Instagram's user interface does not typically allow such an error to occur with a single button press, fueling further doubts about the explanation.

Addressing this, Park Sung Hoon said, "My agency wasn't able to get a clear answer from me because even I struggled to understand exactly how the image was uploaded. It was such a shocking situation. After discussing it, the agency concluded that this was the most plausible explanation for how the image was uploaded. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been posted at all. Hence, the first explanation." 

When a reporter asked if there had been a communication issue with the agency, Park Sung Hoon replied, "That seemed to have happened."
Regarding "Squid Game" director Hwang Dong Hyuk's earlier comment, in which he mentioned not hearing from Park Sung Hoon about the incident and expressed discomfort, saying he would like to know what exactly happened, Park Sung Hoon explained, "I remember trying to call him right after it happened, but I couldn't get through."

He continued, "After that, I knew he was busy with his schedule in the States and probably had a lot going on. I felt so ashamed that I couldn't bring myself to call him again. I thought it would be better to reach out once things had settled down and he wasn't as busy. I've already expressed my feelings through the agency, but even now, I still don't have the courage to call him myself because I feel so deeply sorry."
Toward the end of the topic, Park Sung Hoon grew emotional, his voice trembling and tears welling up in his eyes. 

The actor said, "It breaks my heart that this incident occurred while the series and my character were being so warmly received. I feel deeply sorry to everyone who worked on the project."

He added, "A lot of people around me have offered their support and comfort. They reminded me that not all the feedback has been negative and that there are still people rooting for me. In the midst of everything, I've realized how lucky I am to have such supportive people in my life, and I'm truly grateful for that."

However, when asked if he could share the DM containing the image to further clarify the situation, Park Sung Hoon responded, "It's been quite some time, so finding it wouldn't be easy. Any further clarifications will be handled by the PR team."

(Credit= Netflix Korea, 'boxabum' Instagram) 

(SBS Star)