According to the Korea Broadcasting Actors Union on July 18th, most production companies are still paying actors using the old method of waiting until the drama’s release, not after the filming is completed. In addition, the amount of fees is set based on the number of broadcasts, not the filming period.
Many people pointed out that this method is not suitable for the recent situation in the drama market. In a telephone conversation with Sports Donga on the 18th, Secretary-General Song Chang-gon of the Korea Broadcasting Actors Union said, “Due to the pre-production, many actors have been waiting one or two years to receive their appearance fees”, adding “In most cases, the terms and conditions of the contract are based on the time of the broadcast, so it is impossible to protest legally.”
In particular, as drama productions per year have been reduced by broadcasters due to financial difficulties, actors are expected to wait longer to get paid. This year, about 30 dramas are still on the pending list for broadcast and actors are earnestly waiting for the dramas to air.
As related issues have been raised, the Korea Broadcasting Actors Union and Korea Entertainment Management Association are requesting the revision of the standard contract for actors’ appearances although it may not be easy to succeed. If the standard contract is kept, broadcasters and producers should modify the timing of the appearance fee settlement.
Secretary-General Song emphasized, “More cases of actors suffering damage due to unpaid appearance fees may occur in the future, so we are closely monitoring the situation at the association level”.
Number Three Pictures has been under fire for not paying 119 actors who appeared in the OTT dramas “High School Return of a Gangster” and “Secret Fingers”, which already finished filming last year. The production company promised to repay part of the fees last month and settle the full amount by the end of August.
Suspicions over unpaid appearance fees regarding KBS 2TV’s “Perfect Family”, scheduled to air next month, also arose. In response, Victory Content refuted them, saying “We already paid the actors’ appearance fees”. It turned out to be a misunderstanding in the process of revising the contract with an actor.
