THIS South Korean Actress Reveals Getting Paid 10X Higher in China as Celebrity

Hong Soo Ah dished out on the difference between working as an actress in South Korea and in China. 

The 38-year-old South Korean actress is known for her appearance in the 2005 sitcom "Nonstop," where she joined the cast in Season 5, alongside "Boys Over Flower" star Goo Hye Sun. 

Other than this, she has headlined various K-dramas, which include her first lead role in "The 1km Distance Between Us," followed by "Love to End," and her last small screen appearance, "Phoenix 2020."

As for the big screen, she recently headlined the music drama film "Butterfly Effect," which premiered in 2023. 

However, despite being active in the Korean entertainment industry, Hong Soo Ah revealed the difference between working in other countries as a celebrity. 

During her appearance on a YouTube channel, the 38-year-old actress shared her experience working as a celebrity in China. 

Hong Soo Ah Confirms Getting Paid 10x Higher in China

According to her, there are pros and cons to it, especially in terms of the working environment and the appearance fee as an actress. 

As obtained by a media outlet, although Hong Soo Ah gave plus points on the "good" working environment in South Korea, she pointed out that the fees for artists are favorable to the actors.

READ MORE: [UPDATE] These 13 Korean Actresses Bravely Admitted They Had Plastic Surgery 

She explained that the entertainment industry in China values time and total work spent during filming. 

"As an actor, you sign a contract specifying the number of hours you will film each day. So, once those hours are up, you go home. Even if filming isn't finished, you still go home."

Hong Soo Ah also responds to the question of whether Chinese projects offer appearance fees that are ten times higher as compared to South Korea. 

"Yes, that's correct," she said, acknowledging speculations regarding the surprising difference in appearance fees. 

Moreover, the actress expressed how "thankful" she is to China for letting her showcase her skills in acting. 

"With my old face and image, I only got offers for roles that were easy on the wallet, like the main character's younger sibling or the main character's friend. But I wanted to be an actress who could show all the emotions and act with depth, but I felt limited because the roles I got were always limited."

According to her, her first Chinese project was a horror film followed by a drama in which she played the lead star. 

Hong Soo Ah Reacts to Plastic Surgery Issues

Admitting that she went under the knife, Hong Soo Ah recalled that a CEO of a production company suggested that to enhance her eye feature, and so she did get double eyelid surgery. 

"I didn't have double eyelids. Those who don't know know that if you don't have double eyelids, you have to draw your eyeliner thickly to show it. It was a role that required me to look clean, but my makeup felt heavy."

At the time, she revealed that people would mistake her for Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.

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Written by Geca Flores