Actor Lee Jung Jae, who is gaining global popularity with Netflix's 'Squid Game', confirmed his participation in the '2021 Asia Artist Awards', raising the dignity of the awards ceremony.

Lee Jung Jae will attend the '2021 Asia Artist Awards' (hereinafter referred to as '2021 AAA') to be held on December 2nd, raising the heat of the awards ceremony with a unique presence.

Lee Jung Jae, who celebrated his 28th year of debut this year, is receiving a lot of love by building a unique character with his attractive acting. Having digested various genres through movies such as 'Save us from evil', 'Sabaha', 'Along with the Gods', 'Assassination', and 'Contemplation', he has earned the modifier of 'A Trustworthy Actor' and is recognized as the best actor in Korea. In addition, he received the honor of receiving the Actor of the Year Grand Prize (movie category) at the '2020 Asia Artist Awards' through 'Save Me from Evil'. In particular, Lee Jung Jae caught the attention of people all over the world by exuding a different charm from before, when he played the main character Sung Gi-hoon in 'Squid Game', which was premiered on September 17. 'Squid Game', selected by 111 million Netflix subscribers around the world, ranked first in the 'Today's Top 10' in 94 countries, including the United States, Brazil, France, India and Turkey, as well as Korea.

According to 'Flix Patrol', a global OTT content ranking site, 'Squid Game' ranked first in the 'Netflix World Top 10 TV Program' category, and maintained the top position on the chart for the 24th day (as of October 16, 2021). In addition, Lee Jung Jae appeared on the US NBC talk show 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon', which was broadcast last October 7, and continued his global steps, proving the power of an 'another level actor' recognized by the world.

'2021 AAA', which is getting more and more anticipated with Lee Jung Jae's participation, is expected to complete a splendid lineup with a large number of domestic and foreign top artists.

'2021 AAA', which heralded a festival where stars and fans harmonize Leeteuk and Jang Won-young was selected as MCs heightening the enthusiasm.

Hosted by Star News and Star Continent and co-hosted by the Asia Artist Awards Organizing Committee and The Star Partner, the '2021 Asia Artist Awards' will be held on December 2.

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Actor Song Kang Ho shocked fans by revealing the surprising reason he initially turned down the iconic role in Joint Security Area (JSA).

On February 4, the movie JSA was celebrated as a "Visionary" work at a special GV (Guest Visit) event for CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. The event was attended by director Park Chan-wook and stars like Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Young Ae, Kim Tae Woo, and Ko Kyung Beom, who shared stories from the making of the film.

Joint Security Area, a groundbreaking film by director Park Chan-wook, tells the story of North and South Korean soldiers caught in a tragic incident at the border, highlighting the human side of the divided nations. The film has been widely praised for changing the perception of inter-Korean relations and is seen as a key moment in Korean cinema.

During the event, Song Kang Ho admitted that he turned down the JSA script at first, saying, "The script was just too perfect. It was so well-written and tightly woven that I couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘Is this really Korean cinema at this level?’ I felt it was too good, and I figured the movie wouldn’t live up to the script."

He also mentioned that at the time, Park Chan-wook’s previous films hadn’t done well, which made him even more doubtful. "But after meeting the director, I started to trust him," Song Kang Ho added.

Reflecting on the film 20 years later, Song Kang Ho joked, "I was flipping through channels and watched JSA again. I thought, ‘There was a time when I wasn’t envious of Lee Byung Hun,’ but he looked so handsome and cool back then." He continued, laughing, "One thing about Park Chan-wook's films is that they have a depth and elegance that you just can’t forget. It’s probably why his new movie is called I Can’t Help It."

Song Kang Ho also spoke fondly of reuniting with his JSA co-stars after 25 years. He shared, "We didn’t watch the film together, but we had a cozy two-hour dinner. After all this time, it felt nostalgic. It was heartwarming to sit together again and reminisce about the past. It really made me realize how meaningful these moments are."

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