How Much Does “The Glory” Actress Song Hye Kyo Get Paid? Here’s Why The Amount Is Concerning
Actress Song Hye Kyo‘s salary has been revealed, and the amount may surprise you.
Recently Ahn Jin Yong, a journalist at the news outlet, Moon Hwa Ilbo, revealed the salaries of top actresses like Song Hye Kyo and Jun Ji Hyun.
Jun Ji Hyun and Song Hye Kyo receive ₩200 million KRW (about $163,000 USD) per episode. Recently, thanks to Song Hye Kyo’s achievements on Netflix’s The Glory, Song Hye Kyo’s salary will rise even more.
— Ahn Jin Yong
The journalist then revealed the salaries of top actors such as Song Joong Ki, Lee Jong Suk, and Ji Chang Wook.
According to the journalist, the actors received a salary of ₩300 million KRW (about $244,000 USD) per episode. That means for a 16-episode drama, the actors receive ₩4.80 billion KRW (about $3.90 million USD).
Per episode, (the actors) receive over ₩300 million KRW (about $244,000 USD) in guaranteed salaries. If you consider a 16-episode drama, then the actors make close to ₩5.00 billion KRW (about $4.06 million USD).
— Ahn Jin Yong
The journalist then revealed that actresses made less than their male counterparts due to male actors having a “stronger female fandom.”
This might be alarming for some fans as actresses such as Song Hye Kyo, Jun Ji Hyun, and Kim Hye Soo have proven they are capable of not only leading but carrying a drama on their own, time and time again.
The discrepancy becomes even more glaring considering the success of Netflix‘s The Glory. The show has become one of Netflix’s most-watched K-Dramas internationally and nothing short of a sensation domestically. Considering that Song Hye Kyo is the lone bonafide superstar cast member whose role in the drama’s success can’t be overstated, it is hard to justify her getting paid any less than the industry’s top stars.
The journalist does mention that due to the success of Netflix’s The Glory, she expects Song Hye Kyo’s salary to rise. Hopefully, Song Hye Kyo will get her just due and be compensated like the best actors in the industry, regardless of gender.
Song Hye Kyo has been one of Korea’s most iconic actors for over two decades. The actress first made her debut in 1996 and rose to super-stardom thanks to her classic 2000 drama, Autumn In My Heart.
The actress recently rose to new heights in Netflix’s The Glory, in which Song Hye Kyo plays the role of Moon Dong Eun, a woman who seeks revenge on those who tormented her during her High School years. The drama has received critical acclaim internationally and is credited for bringing awareness to school bullying, which has plagued Korea’s society for decades.
