The New York Times has named actor Lee Jung-jae from the global smash Netflix series "Squid Game" as one of this year's "breakout stars." (Netflix)

By Kim Hyelin and Yoon Hee Young

The New York Times has included actor Lee Jung-jae, who played the protagonist in the global megahit Netflix series "Squid Game," in the daily's list of this year's "breakout stars."

In a Dec. 16 article headlined "The Breakout Stars of 2021" that chose standouts in the cultural world, Lee was designated a rising star in TV.

"Blood-drenched, brutally violent entertainment is rarely synonymous with nuanced, complex performances. But in Netflix's 'Squid Game,' a dystopian thriller from South Korea that became a global streaming sensation, Lee Jung-jae, 49, pulled off just that," it said.

"As the protagonist Seong Gi-hun, a gambling addict who is deeply in debt, he gives a wrenching and surprisingly subtle performance as he battles his way through unspeakable horrors."

The daily said Lee "doesn't play Gi-hun as a hero or a villain, a bumbling fool or a savvy con man," quoting the actor in an October interview with The Times as saying, "Gi-hun’s emotions are very complicated."

The article also mentioned how the model-turned-actor starred in several hit Korean films like last year's gangster drama "Deliver Us from Evil."

kimhyelin211@korea.kr