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Time of India
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lee Jung-jae net worth: How much does Squid Game's player 456 really make?
When Squid Game hit Netflix in 2021, it didn't just make waves—it caused a full-blown pop culture tsunami. The dark, twisted survival drama became an instant global obsession, topping charts in 94 countries and inspiring everything from Halloween costumes and memes to late-night debates and TikTok theories. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now And right at the heart of all that madness? A guy in a green tracksuit: Lee Jung-jae, better known to fans as Seong Gi-hun or Player 456. Thanks to Squid Game, Lee went from being a Korean A-lister to an international icon almost overnight. Naturally, fans started asking the big questions: How much is this guy worth now? Before the tracksuit, he was already a big deal Here's the thing—while most of the world got their first glimpse of Lee Jung-jae in Squid Game, he was already a huge name back home in South Korea. He kicked off his career as a model in the early '90s and quickly moved into acting, starring in big-name projects like City of the Rising Sun, Il Mare (yep, the one The Lake House was based on), and The Housemaid. He's won major awards, delivered hits across all kinds of genres—romance, action, thrillers—and built a rep as one of Korea's top-tier talents. So Squid Game wasn't his breakout role; it was more like the role that introduced him to the rest of the world. His squid game paycheck was solid So let's talk numbers. As per reports, Lee was paid about 300 million KRW per episode, which translates to around $250,000 USD. Multiply that by 9 episodes, and he walked away with roughly $2.25 million for the first season. Now, sure, that's not 'Hollywood superstar' money (the Friends cast famously made $1 million per episode in their later seasons), but in the world of K-dramas? That's top-shelf stuff. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Lee was already one of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, and Squid Game just turned up the volume. And honestly, the real win from Squid Game wasn't the paycheck—it was the global exposure. So what's Lee Jung-jae's net worth in 2025? Fast forward to now, and estimates peg Lee Jung-jae's net worth at somewhere between $12 million and $15 million USD. Not too shabby, right? But here's the part most people miss—acting isn't his only gig. Lee also directs, produces, and co-owns a production company called Artist Company, which he started with fellow actor (and longtime friend) Jung Woo-sung. So besides acting, he's making money behind the scenes—through producing films, investing in entertainment, and even dabbling in real estate. The Squid Game effect isn't over yet With Squid Game Season 2 expected to drop in late 2025, Lee's earnings are only going up from here. Rumor has it he could be making up to $1 million per episode for the next season, which would put him squarely in Hollywood salary territory. And don't forget—he also landed a major role in Star Wars: The Acolyte, playing a Jedi Master, no less. That's Disney money. Add in international brand endorsements (like Gucci), award-winning roles, and directing credits, and yeah… Player 456 is absolutely leveling up. So, how much does Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae really make? A lot—and it's only growing. With a current net worth hovering around $15 million, multiple revenue streams, and a booming global profile, Lee isn't just cashing in on one big hit. He's building a career that's got staying power. From K-drama royalty to global superstar to Jedi Master? Yeah, he's playing the long game—and crushing it.
The Star
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'Squid Game' stocks sink as blockbuster ends with mixed reviews
South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae reprises his role as Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) in the third season of 'Squid Game'. Photo: Handout Shares in South Korean companies tied to the hit Netflix series Squid Game (2021 to 2025) slumped on June 30 following the release of the show's final season, which debuted to a lukewarm audience reception despite topping global streaming charts. Artist Company, an entertainment agency in which Squid Game 's main actor Lee Jung-jae is the largest shareholder, tanked by as much as 21%. Artist Studio, a unit of Artist Company, also declined 24 per cent. South Korea-based Dexter Studios, a visual effects production firm that is a partner on the blockbuster production, fell 8.5%. 'Much of the criticism stems from how the show ended – viewers whose interpretation of the show's worldview doesn't align with theirs,' said Kim Hern-sik, a pop culture critic in Seoul. 'It's hard to top Season 1 – it was a global sensation.' The third season of Netflix's anti-capitalist parable, which premiered on June 27, was directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk and stars Lee, Lee Byung-hun and Im Si-wan, among other South Korean actors. The television series topped the global TV show rankings on Netflix in all countries, according to FlixPatrol, which tracks viewing on streaming services. Season 3 earned an 83% approval rating among professional critics and a 51% approval rating from audiences, according to review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. First released in 2021, Squid Game became a cultural phenomenon, igniting global conversations with its brutal social allegory and captivating visuals. It remains Netflix's most-watched show of all time, drawing about 600 million views to date across the first two seasons. The South Korean dystopian survival thriller has won six Emmy awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Hwang, in 2022. – Bloomberg
Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Squid Game stocks sink as blockbuster ends with mixed reviews
South Korean director Hwang Dong-hyuk (fourth from left), actor Lee Jung-jae (centre) and actor Lee Byung-hun (fourth from right) pose for photos during a parade and final fan event of the Netflix series Squid Game season 3 in Seoul on June 28. PHOTO: EPA SEOUL – Shares in South Korean companies tied to Netflix's blockbuster series Squid Game (2021 to 2025) slumped on June 30 following the release of the hit show's final season, which debuted to a lukewarm audience reception despite topping global streaming charts. Artist Company, an entertainment agency in which Squid Game's main actor Lee Jung-jae is the largest shareholder, tanked as much as 21 per cent. Artist Studio, a unit of Artist Company, also declined 24 per cent. Dexter Studios, South Korea-based visual effects production firm and one of partners of Squid Game production, fell 8.5 per cent. 'Much of the criticism stems from how the show ended – viewers whose interpretation of the show's worldview doesn't align with theirs,' said Mr Kim Hern-sik, a pop culture critic in Seoul. 'It's hard to top Season 1 – it was a global sensation.' The third season of Netflix's anti-capitalist parable, which premiered on June 27, was directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk and starred South Korean actors such as Lee, Lee Byung-hun and Im Si-wan. The TV series topped the global TV show rankings on Netflix in all countries, according to FlixPatrol, which tracks viewing on streaming services. The Season 3 earned 83 per cent approval rating among professional critics while 51 per cent approval rating from audience, according to review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. First released in 2021, Squid Game became a cultural phenomenon, igniting global conversations with its brutal social allegory and captivating visuals. It remains Netflix's most-watched show of all time, drawing about 600 million views to date across the first two seasons. The South Korean dystopian survival thriller has also won six Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Hwang, in 2022. Bloomberg Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Pink Villa
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Squid Game star Lee Jung Jae's agency teams up with UK studio for Secret Idol: All we know about K-pop spy thriller
South Korea's Artist Company has entered into an ambitious creative partnership with the U.K.'s Imaginarium Productions. This newly announced collaboration, revealed on May 26, sets the stage for the production of Secret Idol. It is an innovative live-action film that seeks to merge the pulsating energy of the K-pop industry with the intense suspense of a global espionage thriller. Founded by Korean film icons Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung, Artist Company has become a respected name in the Korean entertainment landscape. Long before Lee Jung Jae 's international breakout role in Squid Game, the studio had already been making waves as a talent-driven production house, It represents a roster of top-tier Korean actors such as Kim Hye Yoon, Lim Ji Yeon, Park Hae Jin, Won Jin Ah, Choi Yi Hyun, among others. With this new international venture, the company takes a bold step into the global film market. This signals its intent to become a cross-border creative powerhouse. The film at the heart of this partnership, Secret Idol, offers a unique and genre-defying premise. In this, a covert intelligence operative goes undercover as a K-pop trainee, immersing themselves in the hyper-competitive idol training system. At the same time, they pursue a high-stakes mission against a dangerous global crime syndicate. The story promises to bring high-octane action with plot twists. It will also provide a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the pressure-cooker world of K-pop, where stardom comes at a cost and appearances are everything. What sets this project apart is not only its original concept but also the deep level of collaboration between the two production companies. Artist Company and Imaginarium Productions are working closely together from the earliest stages of development. They are co-creating the story, visual style, and production plan. There is already talk of assembling an international cast, with interest in including both Korean and Western talent. Additionally, both companies are in discussions with potential global distributors and co-producers, aiming to give Secret Idol a truly international release. Imaginarium Productions was co-founded in 2011 by performance-capture pioneer and actor-director Andy Serkis and producer Jonathan Cavendish. The studio's portfolio includes feature films like Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, The Ritual, as well as The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. Currently, the company is in pre-production on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Meanwhile, Secret Idol stands out as a project with the potential to break new ground. With its fresh concept, strong creative backing, and cross-continental collaboration, the film could serve as a cultural bridge between East and West. Fans of both K-pop and spy thrillers are already buzzing with anticipation. They are eager for more details as production ramps up.
South China Morning Post
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
K-drama casting news about Lee Jung-jae, Seo Yea-ji, Lee Joon-hyuk and more
One of the most popular K-dramas of all time is set to return, a star makes a long-awaited comeback, and new occult and medical dramas get ready for production. Advertisement Read on for more about these stories and other news of casting for coming Korean drama series. 1. Reborn Rich season 2 Song Joong-ki, pictured in a still from the first season of Reborn Rich, will be joined by Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae in season 2. Photo: JTBC Although it has not been made official that Lee will star in the series, he will be involved to some degree because Artist Company, the production company and management agency he owns, will take part in development of the new season. Reborn Rich, which starred Song Joong-ki as a loyal corporate lackey who was left for dead, then reincarnated as the grandson of the company's chairman, achieved a staggering 27 per cent viewership rating, the highest ever for a Korean cable drama series. Season two of the show will reportedly expand its focus to a global corporation. Advertisement Artist Company's sister company, Artist United, now controls the IP of Reborn Rich after it acquired the show's producer, RaemongRaein, last year.
