Director Hwang Dong Hyuk said he was disappointed by the harsh reaction of Koreans to “Squid Game,” while expressing gratitude for the warm international support.
Despite the controversy over quality, Squid Game 2 still achieved impressive viewership. The survival game series topped the global Top 10 and the most viewed charts in 93 Netflix countries for more than 2 consecutive weeks.
In an interview with HeraldPop , director Hwang Dong Hyuk expressed gratitude for the warm support from international audiences.
“I am so grateful. All I can say is thank you. Although there are mixed reviews, in the end, the popularity of a work is often measured by the number of hours watched. It makes me realize that there are many people all over the world who love and wait for it. Squid Game . In this day and age, when there is a plethora of content to choose from, local products are often loved within their own country or region. But for a single country’s content to be ranked No. 1 globally, is that possible? It’s amazing. To think of a Korean product topping the charts in 93 countries is like a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. I wonder if I’ll ever achieve something like this again,” Hwang shared.
The filmmaker born in 1971 called the achievement Squid Game 2 achieving it was a “miracle”. However, he admitted that the pride came with heavy pressure.
“After 5-6 years of focusing solely on Squid Game, I wasn’t fully aware of the level of interest the world was showing in the film. But during this promotional tour, I was able to feel that interest again. While I realize the burden that comes with the crown, I also have many happy memories. I believe that I need to endure criticism,” Hwang emphasized.
While acknowledging international support, Mr. Hwang declared the country's lukewarm response Korean audience is disappointing.
“There is a saying that even a stray dog has half a chance of staying home, but I feel that the evaluation in Korea is the harshest. It is like I am returning home, but I feel even more uncomfortable. I just hope for a little more support,” Mr. Hwang said.
Since its launch in late December 2024, Squid Game 2 faced many negative comments, even boycotts from viewers and the Korean media. They protested against the director inviting stars with scandalous pasts such as TOP, Oh Dal Su or Song Young Chang. After the film aired, the marijuana scandal of a former Big Bang member or the sex scandal of two veteran stars were dug up to condemn the film.
Fans also discovered that some articles criticizing TOP’s acting were published just 1-5 minutes after the film was released. Fans questioned whether those critics had seen all the scenes with the former rapper to conclude that he was bad at acting. Many also suspected that TOP was being suppressed by the Korean media.
The most recent case is Park Sung Hoon, who plays transgender woman Cho Hyun Ju (player 120). He made a mistake when he posted a poster of the JAV (Japanese adult film) version of Squid Game on Instagram on December 30.
Although he deleted the post and apologized immediately afterwards, Korean audiences were not lenient with the actor born in 1985. He became the target of attacks and boycotts on social networks.
At the press conference on January 8, Park Sung Hoon apologized once again, even tearfully expressed his regret for his actions and begged the audience not to turn their backs on the film.
However, a part of netizens refused to let him go. Under too much pressure, Park asked to withdraw from the project. The Tyrant"s Chef that he is expected to be a couple with Yoona (SNSD).
Immediately after that, on the forum The Qoo A post on the topic has been posted, attracting more than 73,000 views and over 700 comments. Most of the comments said they felt relieved that Park Sung Hoon gave up the drama co-starring with Yoona.
Many international audiences were shocked by the "hunting down and killing" of Korean netizens. For them, Park Sung Hoon's mistake was not serious and could be forgiven when he showed sincere repentance. They think that Korean people are too extreme, always demanding that artists must be flawless, forgetting that they are human and can also make mistakes.
Source
Comment (0)