Controversial “Squid Game” Actor Set to Star in New Romance K-Drama Amid Intense Backlash
Park Sung Hoon is facing backlash again after being cast in a new romance K-Drama despite a past scandal.
The controversy began earlier in 2025 when the Squid Game actor was removed from the hit drama Bon Appétit, Your Majesty after he shared an inappropriate Instagram post relating to adult content.
Fans were outraged. Many said,
“Stepping down was the right choice. Even if we accept the explanation that it was an honest mistake, it’s not like this is a crime thriller or anything. If a rom-com male lead does something like that, viewers just can’t stay immersed in the story.”
— Netizen Comment
After months of laying low, Park Sung Hoon is returning to the romance genre with JTBC’s Efficient Dating For Singles. The drama, based on a popular webtoon, premieres February 28, 2026, right after the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
He will star as Song Tae Seop, opposite Han Ji Min’s Lee Ui Young. The production team said,
“We hope this series can serve as a dating textbook for people in their 20s and 30s looking for balance between work and love,”
asking for viewers’ “continued interest and support.”
But netizens are not buying it this time. Reactions are mostly negative online.
Comments include:
- “Oh please… I don’t think I’ll be watching.”
- “Ew. Literally who is waiting for his romance?”
- “How is this an overreaction? If he doesn’t want these reactions, then don’t do romance dramas. We’re talking a male lead who reposted porn? What’s ‘over the top’ about people reacting this way?”
- “Since it’s a ‘romance’ genre mainly watched by women, I understand the reactions.”
- “Who would want to watch a romance starring a man who posts stuff like that? Lmao. Like, we’re supposed to swoon over someone like him?”
This controversy still hasn’t died down even though Park Sung Hoon addressed the issue himself.
“Actor Park Sung Hoon Directly Speaks Up About Posting AV Parody Of ‘Squid Game’”
Will Park Sung Hoon recover from this? Many doubt it as fans continue to reject his casting in romance roles.