Image Credit: Star News
Star Salaries Soar Beyond Expectations
The appearance fees of top Korean actors are rising at a staggering pace, with some stars reportedly earning billions of won for a single project. Industry insiders warn that the trend, if unchecked, could destabilize drama production budgets.
Park Hyung-sik at the Center of Controversy
On September 16 (KST), media reports claimed actor Park Hyung-sik earned 400 million KRW per episode for the Disney+ and KBS2 drama Twelve, totaling 3.2 billion KRW for its eight episodes. Co-star Ma Dong-seok was said to have received 500 million KRW per episode, or 4 billion KRW overall.
Given that Twelve’s production cost was estimated at 22–23 billion KRW, the combined appearance fees of the two stars allegedly consumed nearly one-third of the budget.
Similar rumors had previously surrounded Park Hyung-sik’s role in JTBC’s Doctor Slump (2023), with speculation that he earned 500 million KRW per episode, which would have totaled 8 billion KRW across 16 episodes.
Agency Denies Reports
On September 17, Park Hyung-sik’s agency Rev Entertainment issued a rare official statement, refuting the claims:
“From Doctor Slump to Twelve, the figures reported in the media are not true. False information is being taken as fact, so we are making an official clarification. Park Hyung-sik approaches every project with sincerity, and we would be grateful if you continue to watch his future activities with warmth.”
Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Jung-jae: Record-Breaking Fees
Park is not the only actor drawing attention. Kim Soo-hyun reportedly received 500 million KRW per episode for Disney+’s high-budget series Knockoff, which cost around 60 billion KRW to produce. With 18 episodes across two seasons, his fee is estimated at 9 billion KRW.
The highest disclosed fee belongs to Lee Jung-jae, who reportedly earned $1 million (about 1.3 billion KRW) per episode for Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2. In a post-drama interview, the actor admitted with a laugh:
“There’s some misunderstanding, but it’s true that I was paid a lot. I’m not sure if it was the highest ever. Honestly, relationships are more important than money. If the relationship breaks down, nothing can be done. We agreed it was best to work under the most favorable conditions for both sides, and they made the right adjustments, so it became a satisfying contract.”
The Bigger Question
As Korean content continues to dominate global streaming platforms, star power remains a key driver of audience interest. But with production costs climbing and actor salaries taking up an increasing share of budgets, the industry faces growing debate: how high is too high?
