Squid Game star Choi Seung-hyun, better known by his stage name T.O.P, was formerly part of the K-pop group BIGBANG. In 2017, the actor-singer was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He was convicted of marijuana use, which led to his departure from BIGBANG in 2023.
Nearly two years after leaving the group, T.O.P finally spoke about his exit from BIGBANG.
In an interview with Sports Kyunghang, he said, “I caused great harm to both BIGBANG and my former company due to past mistakes. After completing my military service, I went to the members and YG Entertainment and told them I would leave the group.”
He added, “Now, I have to move forward on my own, and I believe I must endure the criticism that comes with it. If I were to return to the team that I caused harm to, the team/members would also be labeled for the past mistakes that I made, and I wouldn’t be able to face them. The suffering within me is so great that I’ve been saying for a long time that I want to leave.”
Talking about his current equations with the members, T.O.P said that due to his “immense guilt”, he hasn’t been in contact with the members of BIGBANG. “Maybe when more time has passed and I find peace, I’ll be able to contact them,” he said.
When asked if he would return to BIGBANG, T.O.P reiterated that he has no intentions of rejoining the group. He said, “The mistakes I made were far too significant…I have no right, and it’s been too long to return.”
T.O.P admitted that he “does not have the emotional space” to think about his future.
“I just want to be a sincere musician and actor. My goal is to become an actor who can show off the person I’ve grown into during those dark times,” he concluded.
