When it comes to being the most expensive drama ever produced, these series top the charts. We all know that creating a Korean series requires a lot of work. There is so much to do when you produce an outstanding story with a perfect script, amazing set locations, and fantastic costume designs.
To top that, the drama's producers would also want to hire the best and most-talented actors there are to portray the characters in the story. With all these being said, some Korean dramas have met all these requirements. However, it was not easy to achieve, and it came with a price!
As we did our research, these dramas we have compiled are considered to be most expensive series ever produced up to this day. As expected, these dramas have skyrocketed to fame because of their over the top production, and now we know why it cost a hefty amount of cash to produce these series.
These 5 Korean Dramas Are The Most Expensive Series Ever Produced
"Are You Human Too?" Reportedly spent $9.3 Million USD in production
"Are You Human Too?" is by far the least costly Korean drama to be ever produced on our list. This is actually the first artificial intelligence and human romance drama created. "Are You Human Too?" premiered in July of 2018 and since its broadcast it has become a big success. The special effects of the show as well as its great CGI are what make this show's production one of the most pricey one as of today.
Iris 2 reportedly spent approximately $18.5 Million USD
"Iris 2" is the sequel if the hit Korean drama series "Iris" which was shown way back 2013. The sequel reportedly neede more budget, thus making it much costly to produce. During the show's broadcast, the filming was said to have cost approximately USD 18 million. Around that time, it was considered special to invest a large amount of money for a drama production. The casts are all big-time stars, and this may be one of the reasons why producing this drama was quite expensive. Also, the drama is equipped with a lot of action scenes that would also add up to the show's expense.
Kingdom spent around $18.5 Million USD
The Netflix original hit zombie drama entitled "Kingdom" which stars the actors Ju Jihoon, Ryu Seung Ryong, and Bae Doona is also included in this list. The series takes place in the medieval Joseon era, which would make the designing costs for this set expensive. The fact that they overspent their budget for the production of the series makes this project an insanely priced K-drama ever produced. For every episode, they reportedly spent more than 1.76 million dollars. It was all worth it since the series received a lot of positive reviews, and it was renewed for a second season.
Vagabond spent approximately $23.2 Million USD
"Vagabond" is also another Korean drama that spent a lot in production and became a big hit! This drama also stars big names in the industry like Miss A's Bae Suzy, Lee Seunggi, and Shin Sungrok. The story revolves around a man (Lee Seunggi) who is trying to unveil the truth behind a plane crash that occurred where he was involved. Upon investigating, he discovers a corruption case. The drama's expense shook up partially because of their filming in various locations such as in international countries, Morroco and Portugal.
Mr. Sunshine spent $34.3 Million USD for the drama's production
"Mr. Sunshine" is the most expensive Korean drama to be produced up to this day! According to reports, they spent over USD 34 million to produce the drama with each episode priced at 1.6 billion won (USD 1.3 million) to produce. One of the reasons why the drama is expensive is that the show features top actors and is set in a historical period. The production teams had to create the set and costumes to make the era look flawless.
