Among the new names starring in the second season of Netflix thriller series Squid Game is a faintly familiar face.
Playing the role of rapper Thanos, Choi Seung-hyun is making his comeback in the bloody South Korean drama. He first found fame in the world of K-pop as rapper T. O. P in the popular boy band BigBang, but fell out of public favour in the years since.
But his performance in Squid Game could push the entertainment industry to embrace Choi again in the wake of his 2017 arrest in South Korea for substance abuse.
Beyond the strong reviews, Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk was impressed by Choi's performance on set. “It took a lot of guts to portray this character, especially someone who shares quite negative similarities to him as a person,” Hwang told People.
“So I think it took a lot of courage to take on that role. Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively, and I'm very satisfied with what he did with the character.”
Here are five other things to know about Choi.
1. He plays a complex character in Squid Game
Choi’s portrayal of fallen rapper Thanos has been a talking point. Brash, irascible and with loud purple hair, Choi dials up the drama and diva within Thanos by portraying him as deeply troubled yet charismatic, his cheeky grin often disguising the malevolence beneath.
2. A seasoned acting career
The fact that Choi looks so at ease on screen should not come as a surprise to those following his career. His role in Squid Game is one of many he has gained since his 2007 television debut in I Am Sam.
The romantic K-drama, which featured Squid Game co-star Yang Dong-eun, marked the beginning of his acting journey. In 2010, Choi made his mark with the South Korean war film 71: Into the Fire, earning him a slew of local film prizes, including Best New Actor at the 2010 Blue Dragon Film Awards. Choi also landed lead roles in the stylish 2014 crime drama Tazza: The Hidden Card before his last film, the German-Chinese spy thriller Out of Control in 2017.
3. He was a K-pop star
Choi’s film status was bolstered by a promising music career. A founding member of the successful K-pop band BigBang – its success partly paved the way for future stars like EXO and BTS – Choi was both the frontman and co-songwriter behind hits such as Fantastic Baby and Bad Boy.
His nimble rapping was also supported by a rich tenor, which scored him solo hits with Turn It Up in 2010 and Doom Dada three years later. All that acclaim propelled him to become a fashion personality, having been seen at Paris Fashion Week in 2016.
Choi and BigBang were due to perform as part of the 2020 Coachella music festival, which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, he confirmed that he was no longer a member of the group.
4. Choi's career revival
Before this small-screen return, a central reason for Choi's career fallout was his arrest in 2017 for substance abuse. The incident occurred while he was serving mandatory military service in South Korea and involved a fellow trainee.
Not only did it result in a 10-month suspended sentence, but South Korea's strict laws prohibiting drug use, coupled with the moral standards expected from K-pop stars, caused his entertainment career to languish for nearly a decade.
Completing his military service in 2019, Choi only re-emerged through Squid Game season two and it remains to be seen if he plans to make a musical comeback.
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERound%201%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Beat%20Leolia%20Jeanjean%206-1%2C%206-2%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERound%202%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBeat%20Naomi%20Osaka%207-6%2C%201-6%2C%207-5%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERound%203%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBeat%20Marie%20Bouzkova%206-4%2C%206-2%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERound%204%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Beat%20Anastasia%20Potapova%206-0%2C%206-0%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQuarter-final%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBeat%20Marketa%20Vondrousova%206-0%2C%206-2%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-final%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBeat%20Coco%20Gauff%206-2%2C%206-4%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Beat%20Jasmine%20Paolini%206-2%2C%206-2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
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