Actor Lee Jung-jae, who rose to worldwide stardom with the Netflix series 'Squid Game,' met with fellow agency colleague Jung Woo-sung and representatives from a Chinese entertainment company.
The agency, Artist Company, announced on the 4th that Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung recently visited Beijing, China, and held meetings with representatives from Alibaba Group's affiliated entertainment company.
The agency said, "The purpose of the meetings was to exchange ideas, and we met with representatives from a total of 6 to 7 entertainment companies," adding, "We did not discuss specific projects but talked about the status of the entertainment industry in both Korea and China."
During the trip, Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung were also spotted having an intimate party with famous Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu.
A video from Chinese social media (SNS) platform Weibo, quoted by Chinese media, shows Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung dressed in blue and white jumpers, respectively, entering a luxury cigar lounge.
Shortly after, Zhou Dongyu, dressed in a black coat and hat, also entered alongside staff.
The agency stated, "Zhou Dongyu expressed her desire to greet Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung through the production company's representative, which is how they met," adding, "This gathering was not due to a project or business."
The three were reported to have engaged in conversation for about two hours.
Chinese netizens noted that Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung are influential figures in the Korean entertainment industry and expressed hopes for the possibility of film collaborations between Korea and China, as reported by Chinese media.
Zhou Dongyu has attempted to expand overseas in the past, and Lee Jung-jae made his debut as a director with the film 'Hunt.'
Zhou Dongyu is also a familiar actress in Korea, known for films such as 'Hello, My Soulmate,' 'Us in the Future,' and 'Your Eyes.' She visited Korea last year as a jury member at the Busan Film Festival.
The timing of their meeting has attracted attention, as it occurred amidst renewed hopes for the easing of the 'Korean Wave limitation' (限韩令) policy, which has been emphasized by Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping, in promoting cultural exchanges between Korea and China.