One extremely popular Korean drama series where hundreds of cash-strapped contestants compete through children’s games for an enormous cash prize has caused many people to want to know more about the local currency: the Korean won.
Those masked guards offer the contestants life-changing, if not generation-changing, amounts of money as incentive to play the deadly games. We’re experts in moving money around the world, the South Korean won (₩) is no exception, so we thought we would share our knowledge with you.
If you want to know how much the prize money in the glass piggy bank is worth to you, check your local currency below to see how much these contestants are fighting for.
How much is 45.6 billion Korean won around the world?
We all want to know exactly what the contestants on the South Korean show are playing for. Well, wherever you are from, it’s safe to say it is a lot of money. See quite how much in the comparison table below:
| Currency | How much is 45.6 billion Korean won worth here? |
|---|---|
| Australian Dollar | A$52,610,310.94 AUD |
| British Pounds | £25,161,494.50 GBP |
| Canadian Dollar | C$45,630,112.13 CAD |
| Czech Koruna | Kč731,355,252.61 CZK |
| Danish Krone | kr219,907,407.41 DKK |
| Euro | €29,290,664.89 EUR* |
| New Zealand Dollar | NZ$56,506,976.63 NZD |
| Norwegian Krone | kr341,113,105.93 NOK |
| Romanian Leu | 147,291,579.19 RON |
| Swedish Krona | kr323,794,646.03 SEK |
| Swiss Franc | CHF27,560,197.28 |
| United Arab Emirates Dirham | AED125,848,650.44 |
| US Dollar | US$34,118,025.85 USD |
*This amount uses Ireland as the sending country for illustrative purposes.
Actual amount varies based on the country you are sending the Euros from, when you’re sending, and also depends on transfer options selected. This currency conversion was done by Remitly on the 16th June 2025 using Remitly’s new customer rate as shown on the respective Remitly corridor landing page, up to the respective send cap for each corridor (standard rate was applied to remaining amount after send cap) and does not include any fees that a service, like Remitly, may charge in a scenario like this when sending money abroad. Rates are subject to change and may be subject to sending limits.
How much is 45.6 billion won in British pounds (£)?
Based on the above conversion information, respective to that date, 45.6 billion Korean Won is worth approximately over £25.16 million, specifically £25,161,494.50. Perhaps this helps you understand why the game show contestants may have wanted to accept the risks?
How much is 45.6 billion Korean won in US dollars ($)?
True to the conversion environment stated above, sending 45.6 billion Korean Won in United States dollars would convert to over $34.11 million, to be precise: $34,118,025.85. Would you accept the danger that came with this money?
How far does the Korean Won go in South Korea?
To put the life-changing prize money into the context of South Korea, we’ve put some popular items below to show you how far the Won stretches in the country.
- Beer (0.5l draught) – 5,000 ₩
- Cappuccino – 5,128 ₩
- Milk (1l) – 2,971 ₩
- Potatoes (1kg) – 5,152 ₩
- Monthly fitness club membership for 1 adult – 70,895 ₩
- Cinema ticket – 15,000 ₩
- Pair of jeans – 79,563 ₩
- Monthly phone bill – 55,716 ₩
- Average 1-bedroom apartment in city – 845,114 ₩
Cost data is taken from Numbeo, rounded to the nearest whole Won.
How does the South Korean cost of living compare to the UK?
While the above gives you some idea of typical living costs, you may be curious to know the average salary in South Korea. One Korean report from the end of 2024, stated that the country’s average pre-tax salary was 41.23 million won. That’s millions, whereas the game show prize money was billions. In fact, it would take roughly 1,106 years for someone earning the average salary to reach the heights of the game’s prize fund.
To provide a different comparison of local salaries, one 2025 Remitly study found that, based on average salary and working hour data from the OECD, South Koreans would need to work 674 hours more in a year to match the UK salary.