Jun Ji Hyun won't have to worry about making money when she stays home to take care of her new baby, born on February 10. She's got some savings to rely on, a well connected husband and is expected to earn more money.
The birth of her baby boy does not mean she will retire from acting. According to an article in China's Dalian News, director Kim Tae Gyoon said that the actress is experiencing a second peak in her career.
"Jun Ji Hyun was paid $316,500 for her role in 'The Thieves," which is more than what Kim Hye Soo and Lee Jung Jae were paid."
Her 2015 film "Assassination" not only received critical praise but grossed more than $77 million at the box office. She played an highly skilled sniper in that film.
And it's not just her film work that brings in the cash. Jun Ji Hyun earns money from her drama roles.
"In "You Who Came From Another Star," Jun Ji Hyun was paid $90,000 per episode," said Kim Tae Gyoon. "She filmed 21 episodes so she was paid 2.1 billion won ($1,745,859) in 2014."
The actress also appears in commercials. After starring in the alien-human romance, she also became the most desirable female commercial model. She and co-star actor Kim Soo Hyun earned about $28 million in endorsement deals.
Jun invested much of her income in real estate. The wealth tracking website Chaebul.com says the appraised value of the buildings owned by the actress totals about $13 million. Just the fact that she owns the buildings increases their property value. Chaebul.com ranked her in fourth place of wealthy celebrities who own property, behind Lee Soo Man, head of SM Entertainent, Yang Hyun Suk, head of YG Entertainment and k-pop icon Seo Taiji.
And her husband is not poor either. Choi Joon Hyuk is a banker with Bank of America's Seoul branch. He is the grandson of hanbok designer Lee Young Hee, who opened the Lee Young Hee Korea Museum in New York City. He is the son of fashion designer Lee Jung Woo and the brother of Choi Joon Ho, a member of the k-pop group X-Large. Choi's father runs an asset management company.
Jun made her debut as a model in 1997 and had her first film role in the 1999 movie 'White Valentine." Her breakout film was the 2001 comedy "My Sassy Girl."
She's rich, she's beautiful, she's talented, and seems happy. Nice to see someone can have it all.
