Squid Game Director Calls Season 2 a ‘Comeback’ for K-Pop Star T.O.P. After Marijuana Scandal: ‘A Lot of Guts’ (Exclusive)

K-pop star T.O.P is making a comeback thanks to Squid Game.

In July 2017, Choi Seung-hyun, who made his mark as T.O.P in mega hit K-pop band BIGBANG, was given a 10-month jail sentence and a two-year suspension from his mandatory military service after he was found guilty of using marijuana, an illegal substance in South Korea, per Korean news outlet, Yonhap.

Following the scandal, the rapper and actor was blackballed from the Korean entertainment industry until his most recent appearance in Squid Game season 2 as Thanos, a famous rapper turned erratic Player 230 who uses drugs while competing in the deadly games.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk opens up about his decision to cast the controversial actor and admits he was blown away by his performance in the K-drama series.

“As you may know, the actor Seung-hyun, about nine years ago got involved in a marijuana scandal in Korea and wasn’t able to do any projects for the past nine years in Korea,” he explains. “And so this is a comeback after quite a long hiatus, and particularly because he portrays a character that’s a rapper and also someone who is on drugs.”

“I feel that it took him a lot of guts, in a way, to portray a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person too,” Hwang admits. “So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role.”

“Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively and I’m very satisfied with what he did with the character,” he adds.

Upon Choi’s indictment on June 5, 2017, he released a handwritten apology to his fans on his agency YG Entertainment’s website.

“First of all, I would like to extend my sincere apology to many of you for causing huge disappointment and disturbance,” he wrote, per the Korea Herald. “I feel so embarrassed that I can’t show myself in front of you to apologize.”

“I have no excuses and deserve any kind of punishment. I feel very regretful and fearful for having left an irreparable scar in everyone’s hearts, including our members, my agency, friends and family. I will reflect on my wrongdoing over and over again,” the outlet reported. “Once more, I apologize for not being able to apologize to everyone personally.”

Just one day after his indictment, Choi was hospitalized when he was found unconscious after overdosing on prescribed tranquilizers during his mandatory military service, where he was working as a policeman in Seoul.

At the time, YG Entertainment shared a news article by Sports Chosun to their website, reporting that he had regained consciousness and had been transferred to another hospital where he was receiving psychiatric care.

When he received his sentence in July of that year, Choi addressed the Korean public and issued another apology for his actions.

“I’m truly sorry that I disappointed my fans and the public. I will do my best to make a fresh start and not to make such a mistake again with what I’ve learned from this lesson,” he told reporters at the time, according to Yonhap.

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Season 2 of Squid Game can be streamed in full on Netflix.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.