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Park Sunghoon said, "It was the first week of the show's release. It had only been a few days since the launch, and I saw something viewers had uploaded. I thought it was shocking and could cause problems. I was going to send it to the person in charge. I must be so out of my mind to press the wrong thing, it ended up being posted as an Instagram story. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, I called my company right away. Of course, I didn't watch the video. I believe it should neither have been made more seen."
He continued, "Some people speculated that I might have accidentally posted it on my first account while trying to post it on my second account. That's not true. I only have one official Instagram account." He added, "This isn't just about me. I'm worried that my colleagues might get hurt or suffer because the focus is on this. I’m standing here with a heavy heart and tense feelings. I genuinely ask that the criticism for my mistake to be directed solely at me."
The reporters’ questions persisted: “If there hadn’t been a first apology statement, this could've been brushed off, but your explanation only made things worse," and "You have to tap two or three times to post an Instagram story, are you saying you don’t remember doing that?" The questions followed one after another. With a mix of frustration and self-blame, Park Sunghoon eventually burst into tears.
“I genuinely thought I was sending a direct message. These kinds of unintended situations happen, right? Like when you mean to send a message to one person but accidentally send it to someone else. Or sometimes, your phone just dials someone by accident while it's in your pocket. I think it was just one of those unlucky days. I keep thinking, 'What if I hadn't sent that message? What if I had just taken a screenshot of it? What if I had just brushed it off?' I'm spending these days reflecting on my mistake, because no matter what, a mistake is a mistake."
He also mentioned extending his apologies to Director Hwang Donghyuk, who created Squid Game.
Park Sunghoon said, "Right after it happened, I tried calling the Director right away. But he was overseas, so I couldn't reach him. As the situation escalated, I found it hard to even pick up my phone. So I conveyed my apologies through various routes with the company's help."
Park Sunghoon has worked hard to get where he is today, and those around him, knowing this, are watching this situation unfold with even greater sympathy. Previously, at the Squid Game 2 press conference, Director Hwang showed his affection for the character Hyunjoo, saying, "Hyunjoo will be the most loved character." Following the series’ release, viewers around the world praised Hyunjoo's courage as a transgender character. When asked if he was aware of this reaction, Park Sunghoon replied:
“I currently can’t even bring myself to look at my phone. I haven't been able to check the responses. Instead of feeling happy from the positive reactions, I think I'm at the point where I need to take responsibility for the mistake I've made and try to fix it. I'm not aware about the reviews. If there are people supporting the character, I’m deeply grateful for that."
-If he just publicly showed the DM he received, it would have been more believable, but he can’t even do that...
-?? Weren’t you the one who posted it?ㅋㅋ What do you expect us to do?
-If he's really innocent, why doesn't he find the DM, screenshot it, and show it to us?
-Well... He didn't commit a crime... but still, his image is ruined now.
Does he think he can get away just by crying? We've all been too lenient towards male celebrities all this time.
-He should have just said it was a mistake from the beginning. I think it all started to go wrong the moment he tried to explain the first time. It's like he lied to cover up another lie.
-Wipe your tears and get lost.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋThe moment you saved that picture to your phone, it's already over for you.
-What in the world is he saying...? The more he talks, the weirder it sounds.
-Does anyone actually believe this?
-Well, it’s not a crime, so I don’t really care... but now I just find him unlikable.
-Please... Just show us the proof...
-Men really have it so easyㅋㅋ
-I don’t use Instagram, so I don’t know if accidentally posting a story while trying to send a DM is a realistic mistake;
