It’s no secret that television pays big bucks especially if an actor is well-known, and has the acting chops to draw in huge audiences and ratings.
The Friends cast, for example, drew in a salary of one million US dollars per episode during their 10th and final season making the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow rank among the most highest-paid TV actresses of all time.
But how much do Asian celebrities make in comparison to their American counterparts? It’s a different market and a different country; how much do top-earning actresses like Jun Ji Hyun, Song Hye Kyo, and Kim Tae Hee make? We countdown the 10 top earning K-drama actresses in South Korea right now:
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20 million Won per episode ($17,000 USD)
To kick things off, we have Suzy of miss A fame who has cashed in since switching from K-pop to K-drama. She is one of the highest paid actresses among the idol stars.
20 million Won per episode ($17,000 USD)
YoonA has also made a name for herself on television and can command some 20 million won or more for every K-drama episode that she stars in.
30 million Won per episode ($25,000 USD)
Park Bo Young used to be the highest paid tvN actress. She has since been knocked off the top spot but still earns a respectable paycheck in the K-drama world.
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35 million Won per episode ($30,000 USD)
While Gong Hyo Jin is a stellar actress, she received slightly less than 40 million won for her last drama Producer when compared to her previous projects.
40 million Won per episode ($33,500 USD)
While Kim Tae Hee can still get up a whopping 40 million won per episode, she had to lower her asking price last year due to lackluster response for her previous drama Jang Ok Jung, Lives in Love.
50 million Won per episode ($42,000 USD)
Choi Ji Won broke a longstanding tvN record last year when she became the highest-paid actress since the broadcasting company’s inception nine years ago.
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50 million Won per episode ($42,000 USD)
Ha Ji Won is quite literally a drama queen. Her stellar acting chops and good looks means she comes with an asking price of 50 million won and above when she signs up to a K-drama.
60 million Won per episode ($50,000 USD)
Next on the list is Song Hye Kyo who also has an immense fan-base, which has pushed her popularity sky-high. Over the last few years, she has maintained earnings of up to 50 to 60 million won per K-drama episode.
100 million Won per episode ($84,000 USD)
Lee Young Ae is a highly sought after actress with a premium price tag. After a 12-year wait she made her return to television this year with the drama Saimdang, the Herstory.
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100 million Won per episode ($84,000 USD)
Jun Ji Hyun continues to enjoy explosive popularity in South Korea where she can command such high paychecks for her work because drama appearances by her are rare.
(Text by Lollipop Editorial Team / Additional Reporting by Natalya Molok)