How did It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’s Kim Soo-hyun become Korea’s top paid actor – and how does he spend it? Answer: cautiously
He once splashed out on the BMW i8 driven by Tom Cruse in Mission: Impossible, but despite earning mega bucks from hit South Korean dramas including Moon Embracing Sun and My Love from the Star, Kim is a frugal spender – but with plans to open his own agency, the King of Commercials might soon be even richer
So as South Korea’s highest paid actor, how does Kim Soo-hyun spend his hard-earned cash? We trace his K-drama career highlights and examine how he became one of South Korea’s most celebrated Hallyu stars.
Kim Soo-hyun got his big break in the teen musical drama Dream High (2011) where he played a country boy who turned out to be a musical genius. The drama drew high television audience ratings of 20 per cent two months after its release.
He was then cast in Moon Embracing The Sun (2012) which established him as a rising actor. This time, the drama peaked at 42.2 per cent on the ratings chart. By the end of 2012, Kim Soo-hyun reportedly received a pay cheque of 600 million won (US$500,000), according to KDramaStars. In the same year, he revealed in an episode of TVN’s Taxi he was able to move into a rented home, according to Soompi.
Thanks to his popularity, Kim Soo-hyun became the face of 17 products and earned 8 billion won (US$6.6 million) from TV ads and commercials. With a sizeable salary, he bought a flat for 4.2 billion won (US$3.5 million) in 2013. He is rumoured to have also bought a unit in Galleria Foret, one of the most expensive buildings in South Korea.
Kim Soo-hyun has been crowned “King of Commercials”, and the success of My Love From The Stars (2014) paved the way for more opportunities. Before the show, he reportedly earned US$550,000, but afterwards his fee climbed to between US$720,000 – 900,000 per advertisement. According to The Korea Times, he starred in 30 ads, including 10 in China.
