Netflix is setting a limit on the remuneration of Korean actors to reduce production costs. The story of the actors' remuneration became a controversial topic.
According to Korean media, audiences were surprised because many actors earned more than 100 million won (about 73,778 USD) per episode. This number applies to regular dramas.
While for OTT- per episode, the number is significantly higher, starting at around 400 million won (about $295,111) per episode.
In a 2015 drama, Kim Tae Hee received 40 million won per episode.
In a 2024 drama, Kim Soo Hyun received 400 million won per episode.
In 2021, Song Hye Kyo and Jun Ji Hyun received 200 million won per episode.
According to the producers, the salaries of top actors for each episode have skyrocketed in recent years, with some claiming to demand up to 1 billion won per episode they participate in.
In Kim Soo Hyun's case, his contract for the 2024 hit drama "Queen of Tears" is said to be up to 5 billion won for 16 episodes.
Before the news about the actors' income, netizens responded with debates on social networks.
The audience said: "It's really funny how famous people are. They make money too easily. At least in the old variety shows, they have to make a living on 10,000 won a week.
Now, variety shows are just celebrities sitting in a studio wearing beautiful clothes, watching videos and saying a few words. How can you be paid tens of millions of won per episode for that? They are making money too easily".
"Look at TV series. With the high salary that actors receive in contrast to employees, they cannot even earn a minimum wage. There should be legal regulations to prevent these unreasonable salaries" - the audience commented.
"It's a system where only a handful of people selected out of 50 million can earn that amount. Nowadays, even actors and celebrities are struggling to survive" - the audience commented.
"In fact, Netflix has caused this increase. Because they can achieve quality with only 1/5 of the cost of American production, they have put a lot of money into it" - the audience added.
According to industry sources, Netflix has set the maximum salary for actors at 400 million won/episode in Korean dramas. This is not yet a low salary, but it is considered a move to curb the recent surge in remuneration of actors.
