Squid Game Director Calls Season 2 K-Pop Star TOP’s ‘Comeback’ After Marijuana Scandal (Exclusive)

K-pop star TOP makes a comeback thanks to Play octopus.

In July 2017, Choi Seung-hyun, who made his mark as TOP in megahit K-pop band BIGBANG, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and a two-year suspension from his mandatory military service after he was found guilty of using marijuana, an illegal drug in South Korea, according to Korean news media, Yonhap.

After the scandal, the rapper and actor was blackballed from the Korean entertainment industry until his latest appearance in Play octopus 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, Play octopus director Hwang Dong-hyuk opens up about his decision to cast the controversial actor, admitting he was blown away by his performance in the K-drama series.

“As you may know, about nine years ago actor Seung-hyun got involved in a marijuana scandal in Korea and was unable to do any projects for the past nine years in Korea,” he explains. “And so this is a comeback after a long hiatus, and especially because he’s portraying a character who’s a rapper and also someone who’s on drugs.”

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

“Despite the long break, I have to say that as a director he performed very impressively and I am very happy with what he did with the character,” he adds.

Following Choi’s accusation 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 offer my sincere apologies to many of you for causing enormous disappointment and distress,” he wrote, per 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 sorry and afraid that I have left an irreparable scar in everyone’s hearts, including our members, my agency, friends and family. I will reflect on my wrongdoing again and again,” the outlet reported. “Once again, I apologize for not being able to apologize to everyone in person.”

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

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

Upon receiving his sentence in July of that year, Choi addressed the Korean public and issued yet another apology for his actions.

“I’m really sorry that I disappointed my fans and the public. I’ll do my best to make a fresh start and not make a mistake like that 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 Play octopus can be streamed in its entirety on Netflix.

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