K-pop star TOP celebrates thanks Squid game.

In July 2017, Choi Seung-hyun, who made a name for himself as the TOP of the mega-hit K-pop band BIGBANG, was sentenced to ten months in prison and a two-year suspension of his military service after being found guilty of drug abuse marijuana, an illegal substance in South Korea, according to the Korean News Agency, Yonhap.

Following the scandal, the rapper and actor was banned from the Korean entertainment industry until his final appearance Squid game Season 2 as Thanos, a famous rapper turned unpredictable player 230 who takes drugs while participating in the deadly games.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, Squid game Director Hwang Dong-hyuk opens up about his decision to cast the controversial actor and admits he was overwhelmed by his performance in the K-drama series.

“As you may know, actor Seung-hyun was caught up in a marijuana scandal in Korea about nine years ago and has not been able to do any projects in Korea for the past nine years,” he explains. “So this is a comeback after quite a long break, and especially because he portrays a character who is a rapper and also someone who does drugs.”

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

“Despite the long gap, I must say that he has done a very impressive job as a director and I am very happy with what he has done with the character,” he adds.

Following Choi’s indictment on June 5, 2017, he posted a handwritten apology to his fans on his agency YG Entertainment’s website.

“First, I would like to sincerely apologize to many of you for causing great disappointment and distress,” he wrote, according to the Korea Herald. “I’m so embarrassed that I can’t come out in front of you to apologize.”

“I have no excuses and deserve any kind of punishment. I am very sorry and very afraid that I have left an irreparable scar on the hearts of everyone, including our members, my agency, friends and family. “I will continue to reflect on my wrongdoing,” the outlet reported. “I apologize again for not being able to apologize to everyone in person.”

Just a day after his arraignment, Choi was hospitalized when he was found unconscious after overdosing on prescribed sedatives during his military service, where he worked as a police officer in Seoul.

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

When he received his sentence in July of that year, Choi addressed the Korean public and apologized again for his actions.

“I am truly sorry for disappointing my fans and the audience. I will do my best to make a fresh start and with what I have learned from this lesson, not to make such a mistake again,” he told reporters at the time Yonhap.

Never miss a story again — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Season 2 of Squid game can be streamed in full on Netflix.

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