Meet the highest-paid K-drama actor; and it’s not Crash Landing on You star Hyun Bin, The King: Eternal Monarch actor Lee Min Ho or Vincenzo star Song Joong Ki

The actor’s latest K-drama recently broke a major ratings record, previously set by Crash Landing on You…

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The massive popularity of hit K-dramas like Crash Landing on You and Squid Game, on a global scale, has hugely benefited the actors and actresses headlining these series. Given their burgeoning fanbases, Korean celebrities now command higher salaries per-episode. But who is the highest-paid K-drama actor? Hint: It’s not Hyun Bin of Crash Landing on You fame, Lee Min Ho of The King: Eternal Monarch fame or Song Joong Ki of Vincenzo fame.

Meet the highest-paid K-drama actor

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The highest-paid K-drama actor is Kim Soo Hyun. The It’s Okay to Not Be Okay star reportedly takes home ₩500 million (approximately Rs 3 crore) per episode of a series. This was the fee he took home for One Ordinary Day, according to Hindustan Times.

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However, reports were suggesting Kim Soo Hyun was charging ₩800 million (approximately Rs 4.8 crore) per episode for his latest globally successful K-drama; Queen of Tears. These rumors were refuted by the K-drama’s production company Studio Dragon, according to Soompi. Instead, Kim Soo Hyun took home ₩300 million (approximately Rs 1.8 crore) per episode of Queen of Tears, with his total 16-episode fee coming up to ₩5 billion (Rs 30 crore), according to Hankook Ilbo.

This means that the actor took a substantial pay cut, which according to Sports Chosun was owing to the reportedly growing concerns over the Queen of Tears’ escalating production costs, mounted at a staggering budget of ₩40 billion (approximately Rs 242 crore). Reportedly, Kim Soo Hyun’s decision was influenced by Queen of Tears’ writer Park Ji Eun, whom the actor has earlier collaborated with in hit shows My Love from the Star and The Producers.

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Speaking of Queen of Tears, the Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won starrer concluded on a satisfying note with the series finale breaking a major ratings record. The rom-com K-drama is now the highest-rated tvN drama, as Ep 16 scored an average nationwide rating of 24.850%, according to Nielsen Korea and Soompi. Queen of Tears surpassed Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin starrer Crash Landing on You (21.683%), which previously held the record with its series finale. The massive success of Queen of Tears is heavily credited to the incredible performances by Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won.