Kim Soo Hyun finds himself at the center of controversy once again. After rumors of a relationship with Kim Sae Ron, the actor is now involved in a debate over his salary for the tvN K-drama "Queen of Tears."
On the 26th, a report citing several CEOs of K-drama production companies sparked outrage by claiming that Kim Soo Hyun was receiving the astronomical sum of 800 million KRW (approximately 713910 USD) per episode for his role in "Queen of Tears." Given that the series consists of 16 episodes, this would amount to a total salary of 12.8 billion KRW (approximately 10.9 million USD), which is one-third of the series' production budget, totaling 40 billion KRW.
Actor salaries, often reaching several million, have been the subject of much discussion. Kim Soo Hyun's alleged salary of 800 million KRW has attracted great curiosity. A representative from Studio Dragon responded to Xportsnews, stating: "The claim that Kim Soo Hyun's salary per episode is 800 million KRW is far from the truth."
Another media outlet later reported that Kim Soo Hyun had requested a reduction in his salary due to the production budget. It was suggested that he received much less than for his previous project. The story took another turn with reports claiming that Kim Soo Hyun's actual salary per episode for "Queen of Tears" was 300 million KRW (approximately 250,000 USD). This salary followed his 500 million KRW per episode for the original series "One Ordinary Day" on Coupang Play.
Another publication mentioned negotiations for a salary of 50 billion KRW (approximately 41.7 million USD) for his involvement in "Queen of Tears," which amounts to over 3 billion KRW per episode.
The internet is ablaze with various opinions on the matter. Some express frustration, saying, "Stop making a fuss about Kim Soo Hyun's salary," "It's not like they can openly reveal everything," and "Considering Kim Soo Hyun's status, it's a reasonable amount."
There are also many negative reactions regarding his high salary, with comments like "3 billion KRW per episode after a salary cut? That's shocking," "Earning 50 billion KRW in less than a year," and "It must be nice to be a celebrity, earning such a scandalous salary."
