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7 of K-drama’s highest-paid stars in 2021 – earnings, ranked: from Now, We Are Breaking Up’s Song Hye-kyo, to One Ordinary Day star Kim Soo-hyun and Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae
STORYUmesh Bhagchandani
- From Disney+’s Snowdrop featuring Blackpink’s Jisoo, to Netflix’s Squid Game, demand for streaming K-dramas is on the rise – as are pay cheques for Korean stars
- Vincenzo’s Song Joong-ki, TVN’s Jirisan star Jun Ji-hyun and Inspector Koo’s Lee Young-ae all raked in a whopping US$170,000 per episode this year
The Korean entertainment industry is enjoying one of its best years thanks to streaming giants like Netflix (hello, Squid Game), Apple TV and even Disney+, which are all competing against each other to deliver Korean content as demand from global viewers rises.
Disney+ will release its first Korean show Snowdrop featuring Blackpink’s Jisoo and Jung Hae-in on December 18, and have announced another four dramas, a Blackpink documentary and a spin-off of variety show Running Man for its 2022 line-up.
And as the popularity of K-drama increases, so do the pay cheques of our favourite Korean small screen stars. If you’re wondering how much your beloved hallyu actors made this year, find out more below …
Kim Soo-hyun – US$3.4 million
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It should come as no surprise that with his current level of stardom Kim Soo-hyun, who is also known as the “king of commercials”, is able to ask for a whopping 500 million won (US$423,000) per episode for his latest drama One Ordinary Day. With a total of eight episodes, the 33-year-old star takes home around US$3.4 million for the entire season. Kim reportedly does not only star in the show, but he also co-produced it through his management company Gold Medallist and will therefore receive extra in business earnings.
Song Joong-ki – US$3.4 million
Earlier this year, 36-year-old Song Joong-ki delighted fans with his mafia series Vincenzo. The Space Sweepers star earned a staggering 200 million won (US$170,000) per episode and, since the show is 20 episodes long, thus made around US$3.4 million this year for his role in the crime-drama series.
Song Hye-kyo – US$2.7 million
We promise that putting Song Hye-kyo next on the list was not a deliberate move. For her latest show Now, We Are Breaking Up, KBizoom reports that 40-year-old Song snagged 200 million won (US$170,000) per episode – the same figure as her ex-husband, Song Joong-ki. However, with a total of 16 episodes – four episodes shorter than Vincenzo – the Fendi brand ambassador earned slightly less with a total of around US$2.7 million.