Wi Ha Joon Responds to Rumors of Being Paid 300 Million Won per Episode of 'Squid Game 2'

South Korean actor, Wi Ha Joon is rumored to be paid up to 300 million won per episode for his role in the second season of Squid Game. This rumor arose due to his high popularity after starring in the Netflix series. 

The actor, born in 1991, is known to play the character Hwang Jun Ho, a police detective who is obsessed with finding his brother who turns out to be the Front Man (Lee Byung Hun) in the Squid Game. Gaining high popularity after starring in Squid Game, Wi Ha Joon is rumored to be paid up to 300 million won per episode for the second season of Squid Game. 

This was immediately responded to by Wi Ha Joon when he was interviewed by local media. "That's an unconfirmed report. It's just a rumor and there's no way to know," said Wi Ha Joon, quoted Wednesday January 8, 2025. 

However, the actor admitted that his pay did increase in the second season of Squid Game. This increase in pay is likely due to Wi Ha Joon's larger screen time in the second season of Squid Game. Not only that, the actor's acting experience also increased after starring in the first season of the Netflix series. 

He is known to continue to actively take on various acting projects, starting from Bad and Crazy, Little Women, The Worst of Evil, Gyeongseong Creature, to becoming the male lead for The Midnight Romance in Hagwon. "I felt like I needed to grab opportunities when they came. Luckily, I was able to work with great scripts and directors. 

I don't do things randomly, so even though it was physically demanding, I felt like it was something I needed to do," said Wi Ha Joon. He also expressed his gratitude for his high popularity after starring in Squid Game, allowing him to meet many new acting projects and allowing him to continue growing as an actor. 

Meanwhile, the long-awaited second season of Squid Game has successfully become one of the most popular series that closed 2024. This drama continues the plot of the first season, where Song Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) returns to the deadly game Squid Game to take revenge and face the Front Man.