Seoul: There’s no doubt that the K-wave in India has sparked our interest in Korean culture. The popularity of K-pop culture and K-dramas has skyrocketed in the past two years, owing to BTS and Blackpink, as well as popular actors such as Park Seo Joon and Kim Soo Hyun. But do you know who the highest-paid Korean actors are?
Korean television actors are well-known throughout the world. Their fan base has grown in unison with the growing popularity of Korean dramas, colloquially known as K-drama. As a result, the value of some K-drama stars has risen, making them the highest-paid actors in the industry. From Kim Soo-Hyun to Song Hye-Kyo to Hyun Bin, here are some of the highest-paid K-drama actors.
1. Kim Soo – Hyun
With the global success of his drama, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020), and a filmography consorting of hits like Dream High (2011) and The Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), Kim Soo-hyun is one of the highest-paid actors in Korea at the moment.
The K- Drama actor who began his career with the Korean drama Kimchi Cheese Smile in 2007 is reportedly paid around USD 423,000 per episode.
2. Lee Jung Jae
Jae Lee, the acclaimed movie performer who rose to international fame with the hit sitcom Squid Game, is the first Korean actor to win Primetime Emmy awards.
The actor, well known for his roles in films such as The Face Reader (2013) and Deliver Us from Evil (2020), and Hunt, is claimed to charge $248,000 per episode.
2. Soong Joong Ki
Nobody will ever forget Song Jung KI as Yoo Shi-Jin in the blockbuster drama Descendants of the Sun!
The Vincenzo actor, who just had critical acclaim with his epic sci-fi play Space Sweepers, gets roughly USD 170,000 for each episode.
3. Song Hye – Ko
The Full House star, who is one of the most recognised female Korean performers of her time, is also one of the best-paid Korean drama actors.
The ageless beauty, who most recently appeared in Netflix’s blockbuster drama The Glory, is estimated to earn roughly USD 160,000 per episode.
4. Jun Ji – Hyun
Jun, often known as Gianna Jun, is a well-known figure in Korean entertainment. The actress, best known for her role in the 2016 show The Legend of the Blue Sea, is said to earn roughly USD 160,000 per episode.
5. Lee Young – Ae
Despite taking a 12-year vacation from performing, Lee is one of the richest actors in Korea in terms of net worth. The successful actress who portrayed a cop-turned-insurance investigator in the twelve-episode Kdrama receives approximately USD 160,000 per episode.
6. Hyun Bin
Hyun Bin, a well-known South Korean actor who captured millions of hearts with his portrayal in one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in the South Korean cable industry, Crash Landing On You, is said to be a huge celebrity in the Korean industry, making USD 113,000 every episode.
7. Go Hyun- Jung
The former Miss Korean runner-up, who is best known for her record-setting drama Sandglass (1995) is believed to charge around USD 85,000 per episode.
8. Lee Min-Ho
The most followed Korean actor on Instagram, who contributed significantly to the rise of Korean dramas in India with his show Boys Over Flowers repeatedly charges USD 80,000. However, it is unclear how much he was paid for his recent series, one of the most expensive TV shows in history.
| Edited by Rasti Amena | 
