TOP, also known as Choi Seunghyun, was a famous Korean actor and rapper in BigBang. BigBang was a group that was primarily popular in the 2010s, with songs like Bang Bang Bang and Fantastic Baby. His most recent role was playing as Thanos on Squid Game season 2. On June 6th, 2017, Seunghyun was taken to a hospital in Seoul. He had been unresponsive after overdosing on prescribed tranquilizers after serving his military service. A staff member from Ewha Mokdong Hospital told the media on June 8th, “He has gained consciousness. His vital signs are back to normal. We think that it will be okay for him to leave the intensive care unit soon. He is to get psychiatric treatment afterward.”
On July 20th, 2017, the South Korean Court sentenced Choi Seunghyun to a 10-month suspended jail sentence for the use of marijuana, which is illegal in South Korea. During the ruling, Seunghyun had admitted to the charges. Judge Kim Ji-chul said in court, “The defendant, as someone who’s been loved by many fans here and abroad, has disappointed his family and fans. Yet the court has allowed that he has pleaded guilty, regrets having committed the wrongdoing, and is willing not to commit such a misdeed again.” After Seunghyun received the given sentence, he told reporters, “I’m truly sorry that I disappointed my fans and the public. I will do my best to make a fresh start and not make such a mistake again with what I’ve learned from this lesson.”
In 2020, Seunghyun announced to fans on Instagram he would not be returning to BigBang or the music industry. The media did not see TOP until season 2 of Squid Game came out. Squid Game is a popular Netflix TV show made in Korea. When season 1 came out, it gained popularity very quickly. Three years later, they released season 2 of the show. Three years later, Squid Game 2 was announced. On December 26, 2024, Netflix revealed the cast list, and fans were shocked to see TOP acting one of the characters. TOP played player 230, Thanos, named after Marvel’s main villain. His character was an upcoming rapper. Many fans were shocked to see Seunghyun playing in a show after not seeing him for so long.
On January 16, 2025, Top did his first interview after 11 years with Korea Media Outlets. He talked about many topics, including where he is currently with BigBang. In an interview with Sports Kyunghyang, he said, “At the time, I was going through a dark period, and social media was the only means of communication I had. I deeply regret and feel ashamed of my foolish words because my lack of judgment caused great harm to the BigBang members. At that time, I was broken and didn’t have the strength to get back up, so there were times when I thought about quitting everything. At the same time, reading the posts from fans waiting for my comeback broke my heart. This pain is something only the person directly involved would know.” He also talked about blocking and arguing with fans on SNS, the Korean social media term. He mentioned seeing posts wanting him to reunite with his old group ‘made his heart ache.’ When the topic came up when fans would post hateful comments, TOP said, “To be honest, without making any excuses, the darkness and the difficulties I faced at that time were insane because it was a path I had never been to. It was so careless, and I think it’s heartbreaking even now. I regret it so much.”
Despite years away from the spotlight, TOP still faces backlash over his 2017 drug scandal. After returning to the spotlight with his Squid Game season 2 role, TOP has made it clear that he has no plans to rejoin BigBang. Many fans still hope for a solo music comeback.
