Netflix Mulls Hefty Bonus For Korean Producers Of Squid Game

Global streaming giant Netflix is considering giving an additional reward to Korean producers of "Squid Game," as it became the platform's biggest-ever original show, a senior official of the company was quoted as saying Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported.

Photo Insert: A scene from the hit series

Dean Garfield, vice president of public policy at Netflix, said his company is in talks with "Squid Game" productions crews, including director Hwang Dong-hyuk, over special bonuses, Rep. Kim Yeung-shik told reporters. Netflix spent $21 million for the show but racked up $900 million from subscribers. Netflix’s stock price also rose.

The Netflix official made the remark during a meeting with Rep. Kim while visiting Seoul for meetings with South Korean officials from the information service authorities and parliament, including Kim Hyun, vice chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission.

The streamer has come into the spotlight since the phenomenal success of "Squid Game" spiked a controversy in South Korea over the streamer's monopoly of the entire intellectual property of Korean-language shows the company invests in with no additional reward to local creators.

Korean-language thriller "Squid Game," released in September, became the most popular Netflix original show in any language, attracting more than 140 million households over the first four weeks of release.

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