‘Squid Game’ Lee Jung-jae Wins Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor... "I Want to Share Joy with the People of Korea"

Emmy Award for Best Actor... 'First Korean and Asian Winner'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Lee Jung-jae (49), an actor in the Netflix original 'Squid Game,' won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series on the 12th (local time) in the United States.

At the 74th Emmy Awards ceremony held on the 13th (Korean time) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, USA, Lee Jung-jae received the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a TV drama.

When his name was announced, Lee Jung-jae went on stage and expressed in his acceptance speech, "I want to share this joy with the people of the Republic of Korea."

In the Netflix original 'Squid Game,' released in September last year, Lee Jung-jae played the lead role of Seong Gi-hun with passionate acting.

As 'Squid Game' rapidly rose to global popularity, Lee Jung-jae previously garnered worldwide attention by sweeping major U.S. awards such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG), Critics' Choice Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and Critics' Choice Super Awards.

'Squid Game' is a story about participants in a mysterious survival game risking their lives to become the final winner who takes home a prize of 45.6 billion won. Within four weeks of its release, more than 140 million households worldwide watched the series.

The Emmy Awards, started in 1949 and organized by The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), is the highest honor in the U.S. television industry and is also called the "Academy of Television."