Park Hyung-sik’s agency denies reports of $290,000 per-episode fee
Actor Park Hyung-sik / Newsis
Actor Park Hyung-sik’s agency has dismissed rumors that he was paid 400 million won ($290,000) per episode for his recent drama.
Reve Entertainment, Park’s management company, issued a statement refuting media speculation over his pay on Wednesday.
“Reports about Park’s per-episode fees, from ‘Doctor Slump’ to the recent ‘Twelve,’ are not true,” the agency said. “As inaccurate figures are being treated as fact, we are making our official position clear.”
The agency added, “Park approaches every project with sincerity. We would be grateful if his future activities are followed with warm support.”
Still, the agency offered no details on how much he was paid per episode.
Speculation about the high salaries of leading actors has drawn increasing scrutiny in the drama industry. Dispatch recently reported that Park received 400 million won per episode for “Twelve,” while earlier rumors claimed he earned 500 million won for “Doctor Slump.”
Concerns have been raised that soaring star salaries are pushing up overall production costs, straining the industry.
In one high-profile case, foreign media reported that actor Lee Jung-jae was paid $1 million (1.3 billion won) per episode for “Squid Game.”
Lee later said there was “some misunderstanding,” but speculation about multi-billion-won fees for top stars, particularly in global streaming projects, continues to spread.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.