The first Korean actor to win an Emmy was Lee Jung‑jae , for his role in the Netflix series Squid Game.

Quick Scoop

  • Who: Lee Jung‑jae, veteran Korean film and TV star.
  • What he won: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
  • For which show: The global hit Squid Game , where he plays Seong Gi‑hun.
  • When: At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2022.
  • Why it’s historic:
    • First Korean actor to win an acting Emmy in this lead drama category.
* Also widely noted as the first Asian actor to win this specific category for a non‑English‑language role.

His win is often mentioned alongside the broader wave of Korean content going mainstream worldwide in the early 2020s, with Squid Game becoming one of the most-watched series in streaming history and helping push more Korean dramas and actors into major Western awards races.

Meta description: Find out who was the first Korean actor to win an Emmy and why Lee Jung‑jae’s 2022 Squid Game victory became a global trending topic and milestone in awards history.

TL;DR: Lee Jung‑jae made Emmy history in 2022 as the first Korean actor to take home the Lead Actor in a Drama Series award for Squid Game.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.