10 Highest-Paid K-Drama Actors, Ranked by Reported Salary
K-dramas are no longer a niche corner of international television. From Squid Game and The Glory to Queen of Tears and Crash Landing on You, Korean dramas have become global hits, turning their biggest stars into some of the most recognizable actors in Asian entertainment.
That popularity has changed the business around K-dramas, too.
Top Korean actors can now command enormous per-episode fees, particularly when they combine television success with major film credits, international recognition, endorsements and a proven ability to attract viewers. But there is an important caveat when discussing the highest-paid K-drama actors: many salary figures reported in the Korean entertainment press are estimates rather than officially disclosed contract numbers.
With that in mind, this ranking looks at some of the highest-paid Korean drama actors, using the reported or estimated per-episode figures available for their major television projects.
At the top is Kim Soo-hyun, whose reported salary for One Ordinary Day reached roughly US$423,000 per episode in the source’s mid-2024 assessment.
Here are the Korean stars whose K-drama pay has reached particularly impressive levels.
1. Kim Soo-hyun
Kim Soo-hyun remains one of the biggest names in Korean television, and his career explains why his salary has climbed so dramatically. After debuting in Kimchi Cheese Smile in 2007, he became a major star through dramas including Dream High, Moon Embracing the Sun and My Love from the Star. He also built a successful film career with projects such as The Thieves and Secretly, Greatly.
His post-military comeback only strengthened that position. His performance in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay reportedly earned him around KRW 500 million (about US$361,000) per episode, according to The Korea Times.
For Queen of Tears, his reported fee was lower at around KRW 300 million per episode, but the drama became a massive hit and finished with a 24.85 percent nationwide household rating on tvN.
The biggest number attached to Kim, however, comes from One Ordinary Day. The actor was reportedly paid approximately US$423,000 per episode for the eight-episode series, putting his total reported earnings at about US$3.38 million.
That figure is why Kim Soo-hyun sits at the top of this particular list.
2. Lee Jung-jae
Lee Jung-jae had already established himself as a major Korean film actor long before Squid Game introduced him to an enormous international audience.
Everything changed with Netflix’s survival thriller in 2021.
His performance as Seong Gi-hun earned him major international recognition, including historic acting wins at the Critics Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards. For the first season, Lee was reportedly paid around US$248,000 per episode, or roughly US$2.2 million across the nine episodes.
Reports later suggested that Lee sought approximately US$1 million per episode for Squid Game 2. That figure was not confirmed in the source, so it should be treated as a reported claim rather than an established salary.
Lee’s appeal also extends well beyond K-dramas. His filmography includes Il Mare, New World, The Face Reader and Deliver Us from Evil, while he made his directorial debut with Hunt. His international profile expanded further with The Acolyte, where he played Jedi Master Sol.
Why he’s here: Lee Jung-jae represents the new generation of Korean stars whose television salaries are being driven not only by domestic popularity but by genuine global recognition.
3. Song Joong-ki
Song Joong-ki became one of the defining faces of the modern Hallyu wave after starring in Descendants of the Sun.
His career continued to grow through projects such as Vincenzo, Space Sweepers and Reborn Rich. For Vincenzo, he was reportedly paid around US$170,000 per episode.
His reported salary increased substantially for Reborn Rich. Korean media reports cited in the source put his fee at approximately US$228,500 per episode. With 16 episodes, that would amount to roughly US$3.65 million for the series if the reported figure is accurate.
Song has also successfully crossed between television and cinema, appearing in films such as A Werewolf Boy, The Battleship Island and Hopeless. That versatility has helped keep him among the most commercially valuable Korean actors.
4. Song Hye-kyo
Song Hye-kyo is one of the rare Korean actors whose star power stretches across several generations of K-drama viewers.
Her television career includes Autumn in My Heart, Full House, That Winter, the Wind Blows, Descendants of the Sun and Encounter. More recently, she delivered an acclaimed performance in Netflix’s revenge drama The Glory.
According to reports cited by the source, Song earned around US$163,000 per episode for The Glory. Earlier reporting had placed her Now, We Are Breaking Up salary at roughly US$160,000 per episode.
Her earning power also goes beyond acting. Song has represented luxury brands and reportedly commands substantial fees for advertising and sponsored social-media content, adding another major revenue stream to her entertainment career.
Her position on this list is therefore not simply about one drama salary. It reflects decades of staying power in Korean entertainment.
5. Jun Ji-hyun
Jun Ji-hyun, also known internationally as Gianna Jun, has been a major figure in Korean entertainment for decades.
Her breakthrough came through My Sassy Girl, one of the Korean films that helped introduce the country’s popular culture to wider international audiences. She subsequently appeared in movies including The Thieves, The Berlin File and Assassination.
Television brought another major chapter to her career with My Love from the Star, Legend of the Blue Sea and Jirisan. For Jirisan, journalist Ahn Jin-yong reportedly estimated her salary at approximately US$163,000 per episode.
Jun’s career is particularly interesting because she combines blockbuster film credentials with K-drama star power. Her performance as Ashin in Kingdom: Ashin of the North also connected her to one of Netflix’s most internationally recognized Korean franchises.
6. Lee Young-ae
Lee Young-ae belongs to an older generation of Korean stars who helped establish the international reputation of K-dramas long before streaming platforms became the industry’s dominant global gateway.
Her most famous early success was Jewel in the Palace, a 2003 drama widely credited with helping drive interest in Korean television across Asia. She later returned to television in projects such as Inspector Koo and Maestra: Strings of Truth.
For Inspector Koo, the 12-episode drama reportedly paid Lee around US$160,000 per episode. Her salary for Maestra was not publicly established in the source, although her profile suggests she remained among Korea’s most valuable veteran performers.
Her film career is equally respected, particularly for Joint Security Area, One Fine Spring Day and Park Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.
7. Hyun Bin
Hyun Bin is another Korean actor whose popularity has been closely connected to major romantic dramas.
His breakthrough came with My Lovely Sam-Soon, followed by hits such as Secret Garden, Memories of the Alhambra and, most famously, Crash Landing on You. The latter became one of the highest-rated Korean cable dramas and turned Hyun Bin into an even bigger international star.
According to estimates cited in the source, Hyun Bin was earning more than US$113,000 per episode, a substantial increase from the approximately US$27,000 per episode he reportedly earned for Secret Garden.
His career has also included films such as Confidential Assignment, Confidential Assignment 2: International and Point Men. That combination of television popularity and movie-star status has helped make him one of Korea’s most bankable leading men.
8. Go Hyun-jung
Go Hyun-jung’s career has had a very different trajectory from many of the younger stars on this list.
After establishing herself through Sandglass in the 1990s, she stepped away from acting for several years before returning in 2003. She subsequently appeared in acclaimed dramas including Queen Seondeok and Daemul.
For the 16-episode drama Reflection of You, she was reportedly paid around US$85,000 per episode. The figure was significantly higher than what she had reportedly earned for Dear My Friends.
Her later work in Netflix’s Mask Girl also showed that Go was willing to move away from the polished image associated with some of her earlier roles.
That longevity makes her inclusion important: the highest-paid Korean actors aren’t necessarily the youngest stars dominating social media today.
9. Lee Min-ho
For many international viewers, Lee Min-ho was one of the first Korean actors to become a household name through the Hallyu wave.
His portrayal of Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers transformed him into an Asian heartthrob. He followed that success with City Hunter, Faith, The Heirs, Legend of the Blue Sea and The King: Eternal Monarch.
His international career expanded with Apple’s Pachinko, based on Min Jin Lee’s acclaimed novel. While the exact amount he received for the Apple TV+ series was not clear, his reported television fee before Pachinko was around US$80,000 per episode.
Lee’s influence also extends beyond salary. With tens of millions of social-media followers, he has become one of the most commercially powerful Korean actors and one of the clearest examples of how K-drama stars can become global celebrity brands.
10. The K-Drama Salary Gap Is Bigger Than It Looks
One of the most interesting things about these reported figures is how dramatically salaries can change over the course of an actor’s career.
Hyun Bin, for example, reportedly went from about US$27,000 per episode on Secret Garden to more than US$113,000 later in his career.
That pattern makes sense in an industry where a successful drama can completely change an actor’s market value.
A breakout series can generate international streaming audiences, advertising deals, brand partnerships and higher offers for the actor’s next project. In other words, K-drama salary isn’t determined solely by acting ability. Star power, ratings, international reach, endorsements and negotiating leverage all play a role.
This is also why reported salaries should not be treated as permanent price tags. An actor’s fee can change substantially from one production to another.
Why Are K-Drama Actors Paid So Much?
The global growth of Korean entertainment is the obvious starting point.
Streaming services have made Korean dramas available almost instantly to audiences outside South Korea, while shows such as Squid Game have demonstrated that a Korean-language production can become a worldwide phenomenon. The source points to the growing global audience for K-dramas as a major factor behind the increasing commercial value of their stars.
But there is another factor: a recognizable actor can help sell a drama before viewers even know what the story is.
Someone like Kim Soo-hyun, Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo or Lee Min-ho arrives with an established fan base. That can influence international interest, advertising opportunities and the perceived value of a project.
This is why the biggest K-drama stars can command fees that would have seemed extraordinary during the earlier stages of the Korean Wave.
Are These Really the Richest Korean Actors?
Not necessarily.
Highest-paid K-drama actor and richest Korean actor are two different things.
An actor’s total wealth can come from movies, television, endorsements, property, investments, production companies and other businesses. A performer who earns less per K-drama episode could potentially have a greater overall net worth because of income outside television.
That’s why this list is better understood as a ranking of reported K-drama salaries, not a definitive list of Korea’s ten richest actors.
The distinction becomes particularly important for stars such as Song Hye-kyo and Lee Min-ho, whose commercial value extends significantly beyond acting fees.
Which K-Drama Actor Has the Highest Reported Salary?
Based on the salary figures cited in the source, Kim Soo-hyun holds the strongest claim in this particular list.
His reported One Ordinary Day salary of approximately US$423,000 per episode placed him ahead of the other actors discussed in the mid-2024 salary snapshot.
However, these figures are not an official industry-wide salary database. New contracts, streaming deals and later projects can change the picture quickly.
That is especially relevant when discussing stars such as Lee Jung-jae, whose reported salary expectations increased dramatically following the international success of Squid Game.
The Global K-Drama Boom Has Changed What a Korean Star Can Be
The biggest takeaway from these salaries isn’t simply that Korean actors are making millions.
It’s that the definition of a K-drama star has changed.
A leading actor can now move between television, cinema and international streaming productions while simultaneously becoming a luxury-brand ambassador, social-media celebrity and global entertainment figure.
Lee Jung-jae moving from Korean cinema to Squid Game and then Hollywood-level projects is one example. Lee Min-ho’s transition from Boys Over Flowers to Pachinko is another. Song Hye-kyo has built a career that stretches from classic Korean dramas to global streaming hits and luxury fashion.
That evolution explains why the biggest names command such significant fees.
Final Verdict: The Biggest K-Drama Stars Are Worth More Than Their Episode Fees
The reported salaries of Korea’s top actors reveal just how dramatically the entertainment industry has changed.
Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Jung-jae, Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Young-ae, Hyun Bin, Go Hyun-jung and Lee Min-ho represent different generations of Korean entertainment, but they have one thing in common: each has built enough audience trust and star power to become a major commercial asset.
Kim Soo-hyun currently leads this particular salary snapshot, while stars such as Lee Jung-jae demonstrate how quickly international success can push an actor’s earning potential even higher.
For K-drama fans, though, the more interesting question isn’t simply who earns the most.
It’s which of these stars will become the next global breakout—and whether streaming will push Korean actor salaries even further.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is the highest-paid K-drama actor?
Based on the reported figures used for this ranking, Kim Soo-hyun has the highest reported per-episode K-drama salary, with approximately US$423,000 per episode for One Ordinary Day.
2. How much does Kim Soo-hyun earn per K-drama episode?
His salary varies by project. He was reportedly paid around KRW 500 million per episode for It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and approximately KRW 300 million per episode for Queen of Tears. His reported fee for One Ordinary Day was around US$423,000 per episode.
3. Who is the richest K-drama actor?
There is no reliable official ranking that definitively establishes Korea’s richest actor. Net worth includes income from films, endorsements, investments and other businesses, not just K-drama salaries.
4. How much did Lee Jung-jae make from Squid Game?
Lee Jung-jae was reportedly paid approximately US$248,000 per episode for the first season of Squid Game, or about US$2.2 million across its nine episodes.
5. How much does Song Joong-ki earn per episode?
Song Joong-ki was reportedly paid around US$170,000 per episode for Vincenzo. Reports cited in the source later put his Reborn Rich salary at approximately US$228,500 per episode.
6. How much does Song Hye-kyo make per episode?
Song Hye-kyo was reportedly paid around US$163,000 per episode for The Glory, according to a figure cited from Korean entertainment journalist Ahn Jin-yong.
7. Who is the highest-paid female K-drama actor?
Among the women discussed here, Song Hye-kyo and Jun Ji-hyun have reported per-episode figures of around US$160,000–US$163,000 for major projects, while Lee Young-ae was reportedly around US$160,000 per episode for Inspector Koo.
8. Why do K-drama actors earn so much?
The international growth of Korean entertainment has increased the commercial value of major stars. Global streaming platforms, international fan bases, ratings, endorsements and an actor’s ability to attract viewers can all contribute to higher salaries.
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