The skyrocketing appearance fees of actors are causing controversy once again. Ten years ago, there was debate over appearance fees of 30 million won per episode for actors, but now the so-called 'value' of actors is being compared with other countries.

Recently, a post comparing the appearance fees per episode of Japanese and Korean actors was published in various online communities. This is based on the disclosure of the appearance fees for actors in the Japanese NHK historical drama that aired in 2022, revealing that top Japanese actor Oguri Shun's fee was approximately 5 million won, which is 500,000 yen, while actress and model Komatsu Nana's fee was about 2 million won, or 200,000 yen.

In particular, actress Hayunsoo, who is active in Japan's entertainment industry, also mentioned this. Appearing on MBC's entertainment show 'Radio Star,' she noted, "The guarantee in Japan is 1/11 of what it is in Korea. Since the public broadcaster's appearance fee is low, the guarantee varies depending on how much one appears on air," and surprised everyone by saying, "When I did my first ad shoot, I received 30,000 won."

In contrast, the value of Korean actors is geometrically rising. Recently, actor Kim Soo-hyun, who has become the focus of attention, reportedly commands 300 million won per episode for the tvN drama 'Queen of Tears,' and singer and actress IU, who recently starred in the Netflix original series 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' has reportedly reached an appearance fee of 500 million won, making her the highest-paid among Korean actresses.

However, regarding IU's appearance fee and production cost, the production company Fan Entertainment said to OSEN, "We ask for your understanding as we cannot comment on individual actors' fees and total production costs." Netflix also told OSEN, "We can't disclose that due to confidentiality clauses in our contract. We appreciate your understanding," while saying, "Such matters cannot be officially disclosed."

This is not a new phenomenon, as talk of the 'explosion' of actors' fees began many years ago. It dates back to 2004, during the Korean Wave, when it was reported that top actors' drama appearance fees had reached 30 million won, sparking controversy over the seemingly endless rise in the value of stars.

However, for about 10 years, this has continued to rise without change. We have entered an era where the value of famous actors is referred to as 'hundreds of millions.' Since the introduction of cable and general programming channels, drama production has shifted to an external system, resulting in an obsession with star casting, which has naturally triggered a surge in appearance fees. Additionally, following the pandemic, series production has increasingly centered on OTT platforms, once again driving actors' values to soar.

In fact, due to OTT platforms, the appearance fees of popular top actors have generally risen to 200 million to 300 million won, and even up to 500 million to 1 billion won, making it difficult for production companies to keep up with these standards as they are presented to TV broadcasters. Of course, if lead actors generate revenue that exceeds the production costs incurred for these appearance fees, there should be no issue in a capitalist society. However, unless one is a global superstar or idol singer, it is not easy to achieve significant sales in international markets. Nevertheless, the multi-billion-won appearance fees have exacerbated production costs, leading to a deteriorating environment for drama production.

Such issues have also been directly pointed out by actors. Actor Lim Hyung-jun expressed his opinion regarding the high fees of lead actors. Appearing on Lee Ji-hye's channel 'The Unlikable Attention-seeker Sister,' he said, "There are opinions that the current recession in production is due to the fees of the actors, isn't there?" He mentioned the unreasonable height of recent lead actors' fees that is frequently brought up by the public, stating, "Only the lead actors are expensive. Only the lead actors' values keep rising; I'm almost at the same level as I was 20 years ago."

Lim Hyung-jun noted, "I might get criticized by lead actors, but the fees of lead actors should be disclosed. (Appearance fees) are evaluated by the public," adding, "If someone hears that a person received so much and thinks, 'Is that all they can do?' then that person isn't valued that way. Those who can receive what they deserve should absolutely be supported. However, it's wrong to think that everyone should increase their fees just because it's the norm."

The same goes for actor Yoo Seung-soo. On 'Jun Hyun-moo's Plan 2,' Yoo Seung-soo revealed the reality of the entertainment industry, stating that there is a 20-fold difference between lead and supporting actor fees. He said, "If we assume 120 productions a year, now it's only about 50 productions," adding, "It's not an environment conducive to production. It's not possible to make a living solely from works. That's why everyone is taking on multiple jobs," and he drew attention by saying, "The difference in fees between the protagonist and supporting actors is 20 times, with lead actors receiving from 150 million to as much as 700 million won."

In fact, regarding the rising guarantees of top stars in recent Korean productions, the Korea Drama Production Association held a meeting and pointed out that reasonable guidelines for appearance fees must be established, highlighting that the fees for lead actors have risen to an unaffordable level, constraining the environment for drama production.

An official, referred to as A, stated, "It's a reality that lead actors now demand appearance fees of up to 1 billion won per episode. Production companies are left with no choice but to pay several hundred million won per episode to meet the demands of actors, who guarantee easier scheduling for dramas. This, in turn, creates a vicious cycle that drives up production costs."

As such, the soaring appearance fees of domestic actors have put production companies in a tough spot. With the relentless rise in guarantees of stars continuing, it is impossible to predict how far this trend will go, and it seems urgent to establish a new system for relatively requesting and providing fees based on platforms and production budgets.

[Photo] OSEN DB, Radio Star, Jun Hyun-moo's plan, The Unlikable Attention-seeker Sister

[OSEN]