Squid Game star Park Sung-hoon apologises for posting cover of Japanese adult video on Instagram

South Korean actor Park Sung-hoon has received rave reviews worldwide for his portrayal of Cho Hyun-ju/Player 120 – a transgender woman who was a former military official – in the latest season of the Netflix drama Squid Game.

However, Park's victory lap has been marred by an incident on Dec 30, 2024 which saw him accidentally posting the cover of a Squid Game-based Japanese adult video on his Instagram Story. At the time, his agency BH Entertainment explained that Park had “received the image via direct message” and “accidentally posted it by mistakenly pressing the wrong button”.

Park had also issued an apology via BH Entertainment but the damage had been done. He was criticised by South Korean netizens, with some calling for his removal from future projects.

On Wednesday (Jan 8), Park directly addressed the incident in an interview with South Korean media outlets – with many journalists reporting that he issued a "tearful apology".

"I would like to apologise for causing discomfort and concern to many people due to my grave mistake. I deeply regret it and feel truly sorry. I am here today with a heavy and nervous heart because I am concerned that I may have caused harm to the countless individuals, including the production team, staff, and fellow actors, who worked hard on Squid Game 2," said Park at the start of the apology.

Park proceeded to give his account of the events that transpired on Dec 30. He said that he had been rushing for an event when he received the image via a direct message on Instagram.

"At that time, it was the first week of the show’s release, and I was exchanging reactions from viewers with the agency staff. When I saw the image, I was so shocked and dumbfounded that I thought it could cause a serious issue. So, I saved the image to share it with the staff.”

Park also denied speculations that he had originally intended to upload the image on a private, secondary Instagram account.

"I don’t own any private accounts. I only have one [Instagram] account," he clarified.

"Ultimately, it was my mistake that led to the post, and I fully acknowledge that wrong is wrong. Squid Game 2 has been receiving so much love, and I feel deeply sorry for causing controversy. I am acutely aware of the concern I caused to many people due to my actions. Over the past few days, I’ve been consumed with regret. Even at this very moment, I continue to reflect on my actions and the severity of the situation. I am committed to being more cautious in my words and actions moving forward to ensure I never repeat such a mistake, and to continue my career as a responsible actor."

Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk was previously asked about Park's controversy in an interview on Jan 2. At the time, Hwang said that adult parodies of Squid Game "completely undermine the significance of the work".

Hang added that he had yet to discuss the issue with Park, and wanted to ask him "why he made such a mistake and how it happened".

During Wednesday's interview, Park said that he attempted to call Hwang after the incident occurred but Hwang "didn't answer".

"Considering his busy overseas schedule and other commitments, I hesitated to call again out of guilt and couldn’t bring myself to pick up the phone," said Park.

"I thought it would be more appropriate to reach out after the major events related to Squid Game 2 and my issue had settled down. My sentiments have already been conveyed through the company."

When asked why he decided to save and share the original pornographic image instead of taking a screenshot of the direct message, Park expressed his regret at not doing so.

In response to queries asking him to release the direct message, Park said: "I’ve been receiving an overwhelming number of DMs, to the point where it’s impossible to count them. [The cover of the adult video] was just one of them, and it’s not easy to find."