The income disparity between lead and supporting actors in Korea’s entertainment industry raises concern
On October 24th, Lee Sang Heon, the Chairman of Korea’s Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Committee, presented a report submitted by the Korean Broadcasting Actors Union and the Performing Arts Rights Association of South Korea. The report focuses on the income gap among actors in the entertainment industry.
Based on financial statistics from nine Korean television dramas broadcast in the past two years, the largest pay gap between lead and supporting actors was observed in SBS’s drama “Payback” in 2023.
Lee Sun Kyun, who is currently under investigation for alleged drug use, received 200 million won (approximately 149,000 USD) per episode, while supporting actors were paid at least 100,000 won (approximately 74.50 USD) per episode. The income disparity between the lead and supporting actors reached up to 2,000 times.
With such high pay, it’s not surprising that Lee Sun Kyun could afford the membership fee for the G Establishment, an exclusive club for the rich in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea. As reported by Koreaboo, this private club charges 8-10 million won (5,945-7,430 USD) for a table serving 3-4 people, and the female staff receive around 2 million won (1,486 USD) as tips.
Some of the staff include models and up-and-coming singers. Lee Sun Kyun was introduced to G Establishment by an acquaintance and developed a close relationship with Manager A, a 29-year-old female who is currently in custody.
This relationship has led to allegations of drug use, including marijuana and other drugs, multiple times at Manager A’s residence in Seoul. Lee Sun Kyun has accused Manager A of extortion, claiming that she has extorted hundreds of millions of won from him. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is investigating both the drug case and extortion.
Similarly, in SBS’s “One Dollar Lawyer” (2022), lead actor Nam Goong Min was paid 160 million won (approximately 119,000 USD) per episode, while supporting actors received a minimum of 200,000 won (149 USD) per episode, resulting in an 800-fold difference.
In JTBC’s “Snowdrop” (2021), starring BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and Jung Hae In as leads, the two received 110 million won (approximately 82,000 USD), which is 733 times more than the supporting actors, who were paid 150,000 won (112 USD).
The income gap in MBC’s drama “Golden Spoon” (2022) reached 700 times, with the lead actors earning 70 million won (approximately 52,000 USD) and the supporting actors receiving 100,000 won.
The report also sheds light on the minimum pay typically applied in the TV production industry, ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 won (149-224 USD) per episode. On average, it takes 2.63 days to shoot one episode, and the average working hours for actors in a day, including waiting time, is 9.99 hours.
Due to the use of per-episode payment contracts without specifying working hours or conditions, supporting actors may be paid below the minimum wage, without accounting for expenses such as costumes.
Unlike other countries that base actor payment on shooting time, Korea determines payment based on the number of episodes, leading to concerns that labor and time are not adequately reflected.
Lee Sang Heon emphasized the need to establish a minimum appearance fee threshold to provide actors with a standard and basic income. He called for structural discussions to protect the labor and survival rights of supporting actors threatened by inadequate pay.
Source: K14, koreaboo, allkpop
