Actor Lim Hyung Jun has urged the entertainment industry to be more honest about lead actor salaries, saying that pay gaps have created huge rifts among performers.
Lim spoke about the rise in appearance fees for top actors on a recent episode of Not Hateful Sister hosted by Lee Ji-hye.
Lim stated: "There is so much talk about pay these days, and some believe that the production slump is a result of inflated wages. He said the earnings of lead actors have changed dramatically, but his own have not in about 20 years.
Lim explained how transparency in earnings could allow the public to measure if an actor's work warrants their pay. "Of course, people know how much Son Heung-min and other athletes earn and can therefore scorn their performances. Shouldn't that apply to actors?" he asked.
He said that although he knows the reasoning behind high salaries based on market demand, it does not seem right to increase them just because other companies are doing so.
Netizens widely agreed with Lim and supported his remarks.
"Honestly, I don't understand why young actors get paid more than experienced actresses just because they're famous. I don't know about advertising fees, but if you ask me if they get paid for acting in a drama, I can't help but say, "Hmm,"" one K-netizen noted.
Another remarked, "We need to have a quota system for appearance fees based on production costs like in Hollywood. Especially in our country, it's funny that tall male actors who can't act well earn higher salaries than actresses who have a lot of experience and many hit films."
In South Korea, rising lead actor-paid prices have become a hot topic, as a report showed that over 50 percent of drama production costs can be used to pay these actors.
One of the issues brought to light by actor Ryu Seung-soo recently is that there are now far fewer productions because expenses have soared.
Statements by Lim come as the industry debates whether production practices are sustainable in an era defined by financial pressures and shifting viewer appetites.
The conversation continues about how to change how we compensate so that these conversations happen in a more open and constructive atmosphere for all artists.
