"Queen of Tears" Production Company Denies Kim Soo Hyun Charging 800 Million KRW Per Episode

The production company of Queen of Tears denies rumors about actor Kim Soo Hyun's fee for the K-drama being 800 million Korean won (about 597,000 US dollars) per episode.  

On March 26, Studio Dragon, the production company of Queen of Tears, told Star Today, "It is not true that Kim Soo Hyun's fee for the drama is 800 million won per episode." 

Previously, a media outlet reported, citing the words of representatives of multiple drama production companies, that Kim Soo Hyun receives 800 million won per episode for Queen of Tears. If this fact is taken into consideration, given that Queen of Tears comprises 16 episodes, Kim Soo Hyun's fee would amount to a total of 12.8 billion won (about 9.55 million US dollars), which is one-third of the K-drama's estimated production cost of 40 billion won (about 29.9 million US dollars). 

Kim Soo Hyun, well-known for being a leading Hallyu star, is said to have received 500 million won (about 373,000 US dollars) per episode for the 2021 Coupang Play drama One Ordinary Day. It is said that the actor's market value has now increased even further, and his current pay is near or equal to that of top-level stars such as Song Hye Kyo and Jun Ji Hyun.

But, in reality, he is said to have charged a fee that is nowhere near 800 million won.

An entertainment industry insider revealed to Sports Chosun, "Kim Soo Hyun's fee has recently been exaggerated, and he has become known as an actor who charges a high amount, but actually his fee was cut to an amount that is considerably lower than that of his previous work."

This decision seems to have been influenced by Kim Soo Hyun's consideration of the huge production costs. The Queen of Tears team is reported to have felt burdened by rising production costs, and Kim Soo Hyun voluntarily reduced his fee to alleviate the burden of production costs. 

Most actors feel pressure to reduce their fees, but it is reported that Kim Soo Hyun decided to star in Queen of Tears for an amount that is less than the one he got for his previous work, One Ordinary Day. It is also known that this decision was influenced by the request and his loyalty to writer Park Ji Eun.

Sources (1)(2)