He was already a god in South Korea.
Before the green tracksuit, before the blood-splattered dalgona cookie, and definitely before the Emmy win, Lee Jung-jae was the "it" guy of Korean cinema. Most of us in the West didn't know that. We saw a scruffy, desperate man with a gambling debt and a failing life. We saw Seong Gi-hun.
But back home? People were shocked to see the suave, razor-sharp star of The Housemaid and New World looking so... pathetic. That’s the magic of Lee Jung-jae. He didn't just play a character; he dismantled his own superstar image to become the beating heart of a global phenomenon.
Honestly, the way he transitioned from a local icon to a worldwide household name is kind of insane. It wasn't just luck. It was a calculated risk that paid off in ways even Netflix didn't see coming.
Why Gi-hun Worked When Other Protagonists Failed
Survival dramas usually give us a hero who is either a genius or a stone-cold killer. Gi-hun was neither. He was frustrating. He was stubborn. He made terrible choices.
Yet, Lee Jung-jae found a way to make us root for a guy who stole from his own mother. He used a specific kind of "optimistic desperation." You've probably seen that iconic wide smile in his player photo. It’s haunting now, isn't it? Knowing what happens to everyone else in that photo.
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In Season 1, Lee played the "naive recruit." By the time we hit the later seasons—specifically the massive shift in Season 2 and the finality of Season 3—that naivety was gone. He turned into a man fueled by vengeance. It was a total 180.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk has often said that Lee Jung-jae’s input was vital for this evolution. He didn't want Gi-hun to stay the "lucky survivor." He wanted him to become a soldier.
The $1 Million-Per-Episode Reality
Let's talk money because the numbers are staggering. For the first season, Lee was paid roughly $250,000 per episode. That sounds like a lot until you realize the show made Netflix nearly a billion dollars in "impact value."
By the time Season 2 rolled around in late 2024, the game changed. Reports surfaced that Lee was earning upwards of $1 million per episode. That’s "Friends" or "Game of Thrones" level money. It’s a testament to how indispensable he became to the franchise.
Basically, you can't have Squid Game without Player 456. Netflix knew it. Lee knew it.
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More Than Just a Tracksuit
What’s really cool is how he used this fame as a springboard. Most actors would just sit back and take the easy Hollywood paychecks. Not Lee Jung-jae.
- Directorial Debut: He directed Hunt, a political spy thriller that actually received a standing ovation at Cannes.
- The Star Wars Leap: He became a Jedi Master (Sol) in The Acolyte. Think about that—going from a debt-ridden gambler to a lightsaber-wielding master in the span of three years.
- Business Empire: He co-owns Artist Company, one of Korea's biggest talent agencies, with his best friend and fellow star Jung Woo-sung.
He isn't just an actor anymore. He's a mogul.
The Trauma of the Games
Lee has been vocal about how hard it was to play Gi-hun in the final stretch. He described the character as "heartbreaking."
Think about the guilt. He won the money, but he lost his mother, his friends, and his soul. In the final seasons, we see him struggling with the fact that he was forced to kill to survive. He didn't want the prize; he wanted the system to burn.
There’s a scene where he returns to the game not as a victim, but as a saboteur. That’s the Lee Jung-jae we see now—calculated, hardened, and deeply scarred.
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What’s Next for Lee Jung-jae?
With the main Squid Game story wrapping up, Lee is moving into a new phase. He's still a fixture at major film festivals and is rumored to be looking at more directing projects.
While David Fincher is reportedly working on a U.S.-based Squid Game series (filming in L.A. throughout 2026), the original "K-drama" soul of the show remains tied to Lee Jung-jae’s performance. He proved that a story about Korean debt and social inequality could resonate in every corner of the world.
If you want to truly appreciate his range, don't just stop at the Netflix hits. Look up City of the Rising Sun or New World. You’ll see a man who has been at the top of his game for thirty years, and he’s only just getting started on the global stage.
Actionable Insight for Fans:
To see the full evolution of Lee Jung-jae, watch The Housemaid (2010) followed by Hunt (2022). It shows the bridge between his "leading man" era and his "global auteur" era. If you’re waiting for more Squid Game content, keep an eye on the upcoming spinoffs, but remember that Gi-hun’s personal journey officially concluded with the heavy emotional weight of Season 3.