The highest-paid Korean actor is Lee Jung-jae, who has received between $690,000 and $1 million in past projects such as Squid Game. Other top earners on this list include Won Bin, Song Kang-ho, Ma Dong-seok, IU, Jun Ji-hyun, and Park Hyung-sik, among others. Such artists and entertainers who retain global popularity in lead and supporting roles receive between $148,000 and $540,000 per episode.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Key takeaways
• Who are the top 10 highest-paid Korean actors right now?
  • 12. Jun Ji-hyun ($99,000–$290,000)
  • 11. Lee Byung-hun ($134,700–$248,000)
  • 10. Kim Soo-hyun ($139,000–$561,000)
  • 9. Jang Dong-gun ($148,000–$920,000)
  • 8. Choi Min-sik ($240,000)
  • 7. Park Bo-gum ($350,000)
  • 6. Park Hyung-sik ($350,000)
  • 5. IU ($350,000)
  • 4. Ma Dong-seok ($350,000–$370,000)
  • 3. Song Kang-ho ($500,000)
  • 2. Won Bin ($540,000)
  • 1. Lee Jung-jae ($690,000–$1 million)
• Is Kim Soo-hyun still the highest-paid Korean actor?
• Is Park Hyung-sik the highest-paid actor in Korea?
• How much do Korean actors earn per episode?
• Who is the richest actor in the Squid Game?

Key takeaways

• Elite actors and actresses in South Korea reportedly receive between $99,000 and $1 million per episode for high-grossing global K-dramas.
• Lee Jung-jae currently holds the title of the highest-paid South Korean actor with earnings ranging between $690,000 and $1 million per episode for Squid Game.
• Top-tier talent such as Song Kang-ho, Kim Soo-hyun, Ma Dong-seok, and IU receive per-episode fees that range between $200,000 and $540,000.

Who are the top 10 highest-paid Korean actors right now?

In compiling and ranking the highest-paid Korean actors, we used recorded industry estimates, acknowledging that these figures may not reflect currency exchange accuracy, actual final revenue and compensation. The net worth figures mentioned are based on publicly available information and reports from reputable sources, including Celebrity Net Worth, Fandom, Laodong, KoiMoi, and IMDb.

Actor	Estimated salary per episode
Lee Jung-jae	$690,000–$1 million
Lee Jung-jae	$540,000
Song Kang-ho	$500,000
Ma Dong-seok	$350,000–$370,000
IU	$350,000
Park Hyung-sik	$350,000
Park Bo-gum	$350,000
Choi Min-sik	$240,000
Jang Dong-gun	$148,000–$920,000
Kim Soo-hyun	$139,000–$561,000
Lee Byung-hun	$134,700–$248,000
Jun Ji-hyun	$99,000–$290,000

12. Jun Ji-hyun ($99,000–$290,000)

• Full name: Jun Ji-hyun (Wang Ji-hyun)
• Korean name: 왕지현
• Date of birth: 30 October 1981
• Age: 44 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
• Profession: Actress, model

Gianna Jun, as she is popularly known, is one of South Korea’s highest-paid actresses, with reports indicating that she earns about $99,000 (₩110 million) per episode. According to SCMP, the Assassination actress received between $85,200 and $99,000 per episode in the 2016 drama, The Legend of the Blue Sea.

Laodong also reports that she received between $220,000 and $290,000 (₩300 million and ₩400 million) per episode as a lead actor in the September 2025 K-drama, Tempest.

11. Lee Byung-hun ($134,700–$248,000)

• Full name: Lee Byung-hun
• Korean name: 이병헌
• Date of birth: 12 July 1970
• Age: 55 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Gwangju, South Korea
• Profession: Actor

According to The Korea Times, Lee Byung-hun’s guarantee for Mr. Sunshine was $3.22 million, which accounted for 5% of the drama’s production cost. He received $134,000 per episode in the drama series.

While his earnings for Squid Game Season 1 are reportedly $248,000 for every episode, details of his income from seasons 2 and 3 have yet to be revealed. For early projects such as Iris, he earned about $74,568 for his supporting role as NSS agent, Kim Hyun-jun. His net worth is alleged to be approximately $20 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth and GQ India.

10. Kim Soo-hyun ($139,000–$561,000)

• Full name: Kim Soo-hyun
• Korean name: 김수현
• Date of birth: 16 February 1988
• Age: 38 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Irwon-dong, Seoul, South Korea
• Profession: Actor

According to The Korea Times, Kim Soo-hyun was the highest-paid Korean actor of all time once, earning about $3.7 million for a 16-part series (₩300 million per episode). Early reports on the figure, which were later denied, suggested that he received a fee of ₩800 million per episode, which translates to about $561,000.

For the 2020 K-drama series, It’s Okay Not to be Okay, Allkpop, SCMP, and KoiMoi suggest that he earned between $139,000 and $350,000 (₩200 million and ₩500 million).

9. Jang Dong-gun ($148,000–$920,000)

• Full name: Jang Dong-gun
• Korean name: 장동건
• Date of birth: 7 March 1972
• Age: 53 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea
• Profession: Actor

Jang Dong-gun’s four-decade-long-career includes films and TV series such as Paradise, General Hospital, Sarang, Suits, Dangerous Liaisons, and Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War.

According to Allkpop, his 2012 drama, A Gentleman’s Dignity, earned him $1.4 million (₩2 billion) in appearance fees alone. Additional income from endorsements that was reported to be about $2.4 million in 2011, jumped to approximately $5.8 million after starring in the drama.

As per Soompi, he is known to receive about $244,000 (₩350 million) per movie. While for the film Dangerous Liaisons, he allegedly received about $920,000 (₩1.3 billion).

8. Choi Min-sik ($240,000)

• Full name: Choi Min-sik
• Korean name: 최민식
• Date of birth: 30 May 1962
• Age: 63 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Ihwa-dong, Seoul, South Korea
• Profession: Actor

Choi Min-sik earned approximtely $240,000 (₩350 million) per episode for the 2022 Disney+ drama series, Casino, as per KoiMoi. The top earner has appeared in numerous films since 1989, including Exhuma, In Our Prime, Big Bet, The Mayor, The Quiet Family, Shiri, and Kuro Arirang.

7. Park Bo-gum ($350,000)

• Full name: Park Bo-gum
• Korean name: 박보검
• Date of birth: 16 June 1993
• Age: 32 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Mok-dong, Seoul, South Korea
• Profession: Actor, singer

As of 2025, Park Bo-gum joined the ranks of the highest-paid South Korean actors, earning approximately between $359,000 and $375,000 (₩500 million) per episode for the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines.

6. Park Hyung-sik ($350,000)

• Full name: Park Hyung-sik
• Korean name: 박형식
• Date of birth: 16 November 1991
• Age: 34 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Yongin-si, South Korea
• Profession: Actor, singer

As per KoiMoi, he received between $359,000 and $375,000 (₩500 million) per episode for the 2024 drama, Doctor Slump. For the drama, Twelve, Park Hyung-sik was rumoured to have received about ₩300 million and ₩400 million per episode.

In September 2025, Park’s management company, Reve Entertainment, addressed rumours the compensation rates. While the agency refuted the rumours, they did not offer any details on how much he was paid per episode.

Reports about Park’s per-episode fees, from ‘Doctor Slump’ to the recent ‘Twelve,’ are not true. As inaccurate figures are being treated as fact, we are making our official position clear.

5. IU ($350,000)

• Full name: Lee Ji-eun
• Korean name: 이지은
• Date of birth: 16 May 1993
• Age: 32 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Songjeong-dong, Seoul, South Korea
• Profession: Actor, singer, songwriter

An EDAM Entertainment audit report released by Koreaboo revealed that IU earned approximately $20.4 million (₩30 billion) in 2024. The $20.4 million sum included film salaries, appearance fees and settlement payments.

Various reports suggest that IU earned $350,000 (₩500 million) per episode for When Life Gives You Tangerines. However, these reports were denied in March 2025. In a statement, IU’s representative agency, Pan Entertainment, said;

The reports of IU receiving ₩500 million per episode are completely untrue.

4. Ma Dong-seok ($350,000–$370,000)

• Full name: Lee Dong-seok
• Korean name: 이동석
• Date of birth: 1 March 1971
• Age: 54 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
• Profession: Actor, producer

South Korean actor Don Lee has gained international fame with a variety of K-dramas and American films under his belt, such as Eternals, Badland Hunters, Holy Night: Demon Hunters, The Bad Guys, Train to Busan, and Sense8, among others.

He reportedly earned about $360,000 (₩500 million) per episode for the series Twelve, totalling roughly ₩4 billion for the 8-episode action-fantasy K-drama. Additionally, he also generated over $21 million (₩30 billion) from his production and lead roles in The Roundup film series. The production company, Big Punch Pictures, owned by Ma Dong-seok, reportedly netted approximately ₩10 billion from the series.

3. Song Kang-ho ($500,000)

• Full name: Song Kang-ho
• Korean name: 송강호
• Date of birth: 17 January 1967
• Age: 59 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, South Korea
• Profession: Actor

According to LaoDong, Song Kang-ho received approximately $500,000 (₩700 million) per episode for his 2024 Disney+ drama Uncle Samsik. At least ten of Kang-ho’s movies have grossed over $450 million at the Korean box office, suggesting that he reaped big in the proceeds. However, details of his earnings over the years have remained largely unconfirmed.

2. Won Bin ($540,000)

• Full name: Kim Do-jin
• Korean name: 김도진
• Date of birth: 10 November 1977
• Age: 48 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Jeongseon-gun, South Korea
• Profession: Actor, model

While his income from films remains highly guarded, Won Bin is among the highest-paid South Korean actors, earning at least $540,000 per advertisement. Additional the actor and model is reported to receive about $21.6 million in modelling fees.

1. Lee Jung-jae ($690,000–$1 million)

• Full name: Lee Jung-jae
• Korean name: 이정재
• Date of birth: 15 December 1972
• Age: 53 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
• Profession: Actor, filmmaker, entrepreneur

In 2025, Forbes reported that Lee Jung-jae received approximately $1 million per episode for Squid Game Seasons 2 and 3, which shot him to global popularity. In an interview with IS, the actor and filmmaker commented on the salary figures, suggesting that they may be lower.

It’s true that there is a misunderstanding, but it’s also true that I received a lot. However, I’m not sure if it’s the highest ever (for a Korean actor).

The lead actor in the November 2025 K-drama, Nice Not To Meet You, added,

I actually said that relationships are more important than money. If the relationship goes wrong, you won’t be able to do anything else, right? That’s why I said that in order to build a good relationship, it’s best to work on the best terms for both parties. They made sufficient adjustments to that point, and we ended up with a satisfactory contract.cting his immense global popularity.

Is Kim Soo-hyun still the highest-paid Korean actor?

In the 2024 romance K-drama Queen of Tears, Kim Soo-hyun received ₩300 million per episode, the highest compensation rate at the time. However, at the time of this writing, he is not the highest-paid actor.

Is Park Hyung-sik the highest-paid actor in Korea?

Park Hyung-sik is not the highest-paid actor in Korea. In 2025, Strong Girl Bong-soon actor Park Hyung-sik was rumoured to be the highest-paid actor in South Korea. However, these claims were soon denied by his representative agency, Reve Entertainment.

How much do Korean actors earn per episode?

In September 2025, Netflix capped per-episode fees for South Korean actors and actresses at a maximum of about $210,000 (₩300 million) in its project contracts to minimise soaring drama production costs.

Guest actor Choi Seung-hyun reportedly received $210,000 per episode in appearance fees for Squid Game Season 2. According to Koreaboo, the minimum rate for actors is $14.80 (₩20,000) per episode.

Who is the richest actor in the Squid Game?

Lee Byung-hun is the richest Squid Game actor with a net worth of about $20 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Other wealthy actors in the cast include Lee Jung-jae and Gong Yoo, who have net worths of about $12 million and $14 million, respectively, as per Style Caster.

The highest-paid Korean actors right now include Lee Jung-jae, Won Bin, Song Kang-ho, Ma Dong-seok, IU, Kim Soo-hyun, Choi Min-sik, and Jun Ji-hyun. At the time of writing, their per-episode earnings in both traditional dramas and global K-dramas place them among the industry’s top earners.

Legit.ng published an article detailing how much the Severance cast was paid. The American psychological thriller series featured a star-studded cast that included actors and actresses whose net worth ranged between $8 million and $50 million.

Although Appe has yet to disclose the official salaries and bonuses of the cast members, lead actors are reported to have received between $100,000 and nearly $500,000 per episode. Read on for more details.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng