Director Hwang Dong Hyeok, who has been busy filming the second season of the Netflix megahit series "Squid Game 2," expressed his confusion and worry about actor Park Sung Hoon's post featuring a Japanese adult video (AV) cover.

Soon after the long-awaited sequel was released, the post became an issue.

Hwang responded to criticism of the series and cast in an interview with Sports Kyunghyang. He said, "I'm curious to know how he uploaded something like that," in reference to Park sharing the controversial image.

The incident made waves mainly because Park plays a transgender character in the series. The post included sections about child kidnapping and child prostitution, a little too much, and fans, as well as critics, have questioned the appropriateness of these posts.

Hwang called the AV cover an "unpleasant surprise," adding that it "violated the hard work" of "Squid Game 2."

"Overseas, I remember there was a parody AV like that when 'Squid Game 1' was being made. This is very frustrating. It just destroys the work — or what the work itself means."

The director also talked about casting TOP (Choi Seung Hyun), a one-time Big Bang guy, as a drug-addicted rapper called Thanos. Hwang admitted that casting TOP was "difficult," especially considering his prior troubles, such as alleged marijuana use.

But even amid those challenges, Hwang said he wanted to help guide his cast through their struggles. "Even if it turned out like this, I wanted to show the results together," he said.

While discussions continue about the meaning of Park Sung Hoon's post and its impact on the show, Hwang is hopeful for an open conversation with his co-stars. "But that is the right way to take on issues," he said, "by confronting them and figuring out what drives them."

This reminds us that fame and public perception in the entertainment industry can be complicated as well, as evidenced by the surrounding surprises accompanying "Squid Game 2."

In dealing with this triple shot of stress, Hwang remains committed to ensuring that neither the quality of his work nor its relationship with its actors will suffer.

In the meantime, we will watch Hwang and his team very closely to see what happens in the next phase of the "Squid Game" saga.