With the global success of the Korean entertainment, it is a given that the top actors earn significant amounts for each project. But recent reported fees of the top actresses Park Eun Bin and Han So Hee have become a hot debate topic online in Korea.
On February 1, a Newsen report mentioned that Park Eun Bin’s updated fee for a new show, Hyper Knife, is expected to touch a whopping ₩300 million KRW (about $ 224,000 USD) per episode. Though the amount is in the negotiation process, industry insiders reportedly said that the actress is worth any amount as long as it is within a reasonable range.
Park Eun Bin’s streak of successful dramas in recent years with Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Castaway Diva has caused an explosion in her popularity both domestically and internationally, which has made it possible for a considerable hike in her appearance fees. For Castaway Diva, she reportedly received ₩160 million KRW (about $ 120,000 USD) per episode. Though, according to inside sources, it is customary in the industry to increase the fee of an actor by 1.2 to 1.3 times if their previous work is successful, for Park Eun Bin, the increase might actually be a 100%, if negotiations allow it.
On the other hand, Han So Hee, another top actress in the industry, reportedly received ₩200 million KRW (about $ 149,000 USD) per episode for Gyeongseong Creature, her latest Netflix show. Though the actress is one of the most well-known faces in the industry, this project is only her fourth one in terms of a lead role.
Given such a high fee received by Han So Hee, many netizens drew comparison with industry veterans like IU and Suzy, speculating if their appearance fees would be even higher. While both Park Eun Bin and Han So Hee’s pay grades left people shocked, many felt that the latter was more surprising, given that her career is not nearly as long as Park. However, majority of netizens showed understanding, reasoning that Han So Hee’s high pay is completely justifiable given her widespread popularity, especially in international markets.
Source: Newsen
