I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
'Squid Game' team gets bonuses from Netflix
A still of South Korea's dystopian drama “Squid Game” / Courtesy of Netflix
By Kang Hyun-kyung
By Kang Hyun-kyung
The “Squid Game” team has received one-time bonuses from Netflix in the past weeks, according to
.
The media report came amid an
raised by some Korean experts who claim Netflix does not sufficiently value the efforts of the creators, producers and cast members.
The amounts of money paid to the team are not the level of “life-changing,” the Bloomberg article said.
“The cast received less than the stars of (U.S. TV series) 'Succession' get paid for one episode. The bonuses are a recognition of how lucrative 'Squid Game' has been for Netflix. The show, which cost just $21 million to produce, is estimated to be worth more than $900 million to Netflix,” the article read.
Netflix's one-time bonuses for the Squid Game team, paid in the past couple of weeks, came at a time when some Koreans were complaining about the global streaming giant's inequitable financial reward model.
The South Korean dystopian drama has been Netflix's biggest global hit, but most of the money has gone to the streaming giant, while the creator, producers and actors were not properly remunerated.
According to an expert familiar with the entertainment industry, the entire “Squid Game” team is believed to have earned a mere $1.7 million.
Another Korean expert cynically compared the team to an “underpaid Major League Baseball player” who hit 40 home runs in his debut season.