Singer-turned-actress Jo Yu Ri has flatly dismissed claims that she was paid ₩4.2 billion (≈ US$3 million) for her role in Squid Game.
Appearing on MBC’s Point of Omniscient Interfere (ep. 335, broadcast 12 July), the 24-year-old laughed when panelist Yang Se-hyung repeated the number.
“There was an article saying I got ₩4.2 billion — just me, no one else,” she said. “That is completely untrue. The real amount is way, way lower.” allkpop
How the rumor started
Whispers about an eight-figure paycheck first surfaced in January 2025, soon after Netflix confirmed Jo’s casting for Squid Game Season 2. In a café interview on 9 January, she was already denying it:
“₩4.2 billion? I burst out laughing when I saw that. I’ve never even imagined touching that kind of money.” allkpopSportsChosun
Entertainment blogs amplified the claim, misstating that the amount covered her “appearance fee,” even though Netflix and most Korean agencies never disclose individual contracts. The figure then re-circulated each time her name trended, culminating in this weekend’s variety-show rebuttal.
Is ₩4.2 billion realistic?
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Scale check: ₩4.2 billion translates to roughly US $3 million. Industry insiders note that even established A-list leads in Korean tent-pole dramas rarely clear ₩1 billion per season; newcomers like Jo typically earn well below that range.
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Series context: Squid Game pays its large ensemble on a tiered scale, reserving top salaries for returning stars such as Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun.
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Netflix policy: The streamer declines comment on talent compensation, and Jo Yu Ri’s agency has likewise labelled the rumor “wildly exaggerated.”
Jo Yu Ri’s rising profile — minus the nine-zero pay cheque
Since debuting in Season 2 (released 30 December 2024) and confirming her return for the already-shot Season 3, Jo’s Instagram following has jumped from 1.6 million to 7.6 million. She credits the global breakout to the show’s “once-in-a-lifetime” reach rather than any record-setting payday.
Take-away
The rumor of a ₩4.2 billion salary for Jo Yu Ri is fiction, and the actress has now debunked it twice on the record. While her exact fee remains private, both she and her agency say it is a fraction of the viral headline figure, leaving the singer-actor to focus on life after Squid Game rather than internet math.
