Let’s not forget the actor who is Player 100 in Squid Game faced child prostitution charges

Aged 43, he paid a 16-year-old to sleep with him


People seem to have forgotten that before his Squid Game fame, the actor who plays Player 100 in Squid Game faced child prostitution charges. When Song Young-chang joined the cast for season two, there was backlash about his inclusion. Now in season three, the actor has had an even more prominent role in the show.

Player 100, named Im Jeong-dae, joined the games in the second season. He was known as quite a cynical old man, and led the way with encouraging the rest of the players to vote to continue the games at every point. His aggressiveness and greed saw him do well in the games, and he made it right to the end. This has meant the actor, Song Young-chang, had a huge role in the last two seasons. 

When season two premiered, Song Young-chang’s past resurfaced online. It was recalled he was arrested for child prostitution in the early 2000s. In September 2000, he was arrested after he paid a 16-year-old girl to have sex with him twice, in the back of a car in Goyang. He was aged 43 at the time. He spent 36 day in custody during the trial, then had his final sentence suspended. After this, it was reported he then moved to Canada.

Player 100 in Squid Game season three

via Netflix

According to local reports, the court ruled, “As a mid-level celebrity and public figure who should be an example to others, the defendant should be severely punished for giving money to a 16-year-old and having sex with her on two occasions. However, considering that Song Young-chang has no criminal record and has shown remorse for his crimes during his 36 days in custody, the execution of the sentence will be suspended.”

Despite bagging the role on Netflix, Song Young-chang is still banned from appearing on major South Korean networks such as KBS, EBS, and MBC. These bans are permanent, and were put in place after his arrest.

Netflix has not commented.

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