Lee Jung Jae has finally addressed the huge rumors surrounding his salary for Squid Game Season 2, revealing some surprising details!

In an interview on January 2, Lee Jung Jae, the lead actor of the Netflix hit Squid Game, spoke openly about the buzz surrounding his reported 13 billion KRW (about 1 million USD) per episode pay for the highly anticipated second season.

Squid Game took the world by storm when it premiered in September 2021, breaking records and becoming the most-watched show on Netflix for 47 days.

Season 2, which launched three years later, continues the thrilling story of Gihun (Lee Jung Jae) as he returns to the deadly games for revenge, facing off against the Front Man (Lee Byung Hun).

In his candid interview, Lee Jung Jae addressed the rumors head-on. "It's true that I received a lot, but there is some misunderstanding about the details," he said.

He explained that his pay was handled by his agency in the U.S. and that Netflix worked with them to come up with a deal that was right for him.

"The most important thing for me was the relationship," he shared. "If the relationship breaks down, nothing works after that. It’s better to create the best possible relationship and do it in the best possible condition."

While he didn’t confirm if he truly got the highest pay ever, Lee Jung Jae made it clear that the deal was a result of Squid Game's global success and his agency's efforts. Fans can’t help but wonder if this sets a new record for the highest-paid domestic actor in Korea!

Squid Game 2, which features new stars like Im Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, and T.O.P, has already generated massive buzz, surpassing the original series' viewership records.

As for Season 3, fans can expect it to hit Netflix this summer, with even more intense games and surprises in store!

Source[1]

BTS’s V is proving once again why he’s a global music powerhouse! His song “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo Shin)” has officially surpassed 210 million streams on Spotify, showing its long-lasting popularity.

On February 26, Winter Ahead crossed the 210 million stream mark on the world’s biggest music platform, Spotify. Since its release, the song has been charting for 91 consecutive days on both the Global Spotify Chart and Europe’s Apple Music Daily Song Chart, proving its strong presence.

Originally released on November 29, 2023, Winter Ahead made a huge impact on year-end charts for 2024. It debuted at No. 99 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, topped Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart at No.1, and ranked No. 62 on Billboard’s Holiday Top 100.

Over in the UK, the song entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 86, while securing No.1 on the Official Singles Downloads Chart and No.2 on the Singles Sales Chart, proving its incredible digital sales power.

The music video for Winter Ahead also became a hot topic! V transformed into a sculptor, delivering a deep and emotional performance with his expressive acting, pulling fans into the song’s atmosphere.

Despite being 6 minutes and 22 seconds long, the video went viral, ranking No.1 on the "Music Video Trending Worldwide" chart.

On TIDAL, a global high-quality streaming platform, Winter Ahead made history as the longest-running K-pop song at No.1 on the Global Top Video chart.

It also topped Top Video charts in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Australia, and Singapore.

Even Billboard couldn’t resist the charm of Winter Ahead! The song was featured in "The 27 Best Winter Songs for the Season," with Billboard praising it as "evoking the feeling of the first day of winter, with harmonies as fresh as a snowflake."

They also noted that "its impact will last far beyond December 25."

Additionally, Winter Ahead was voted No.1 on Billboard’s ‘2024 Fan-Favorite Songs’ list, proving that fans can’t get enough of V’s music.

With this, V has now charted three songs on Billboard’s Holiday Hot 100, following Christmas Tree (2021) and his cover of White Christmas. He is officially the only K-pop artist to achieve this!

Even more impressively, he holds the record as the only K-pop artist to have three songs reach No.1 on Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart, solidifying his dominance in the holiday music scene.

With Winter Ahead continuing to shine worldwide, V once again proves why he’s the ultimate ‘Winter King’ of K-pop.

Source (1)