Shocking Actor Fees For K-Dramas Under Netflix Revealed

The skyrocketing Netflix appearance fees, which once reached ₩1.00 billion KRW (about $719,000 USD) per episode, have reportedly dropped to around ₩300 million KRW (about $216,000 USD). While ₩300 million KRW (about $216,000 USD) is still a massive sum, compared to last year when fees surpassed ₩1.00 billion KRW (about $719,000 USD), the industry seems to have applied the brakes amid growing concerns.

According to OSEN on September 12, 2025, the cap on appearance fees for Netflix series and films has been lowered from ₩400 million KRW (about $288,000 USD) to the ₩300 million KRW (about $216,000 USD) range, signaling an effort to reduce actors’ paychecks, according to insiders.

“The upper limit for actors’ fees on Netflix is trending downward to ₩300 million KRW (about $216,000 USD). I understand this is a policy considering the overall rise in production costs. Over the past few years, Netflix appearance fees have skyrocketed without limit, but starting this year, restrictions have begun. Internally, it’s becoming natural to say that ₩300 million KRW (about $216,000 USD) is the cap.”

Actor Byeon Woo Seok, who became a Hallyu star last year through Lovely Runner, confirmed his casting in his first Netflix series Solo Leveling. As this was his first global OTT project since Lovely Runner, his appearance fee became a hot topic. A source familiar with the situation spoke on his pay

“Although Byeon Woo Seok’s sudden rise to stardom suggests he could command a high fee, under Netflix’s current policy, it would be difficult for him to earn more than ₩300 million KRW (about $216,000 USD).”

However, this “cap” is not absolute. Exceptions are inevitable depending on the scale of the project, and fees can remain flexible. For example, in seasonal series, actors usually receive about a 40% pay increase in subsequent seasons, which may create exceptions. A Netflix spokesperson gave a statement about the fees.

“Appearance fees are not simply based on the number of episodes but more reasonably reflect the actual time and contribution of creators and cast. Netflix does not enforce a uniform cap. Instead, fees are flexibly negotiated with partners, considering the nature of the project, role, and production period.”

Netflix has long been credited as the driving force behind the K-Content boom, but has also been criticized for fueling the surge in Korean drama production costs. Industry reports cite production budgets of about ₩60 billion for The Whirlwind and ₩100 billion for Squid Game—figures unimaginable in the local market—pushing actor fees to sky-high levels.

As global OTT platforms with immense capital increased actors’ pay, this led to an overall spike in production costs. Consequently, the domestic industry—burdened by rising expenses—saw a sharp decline in the number of dramas produced. In fact, 141 dramas were produced in 2022, compared to only about 80 projected for this year. Earlier, foreign media reported that actor Lee Jung Jae was paid $1 million USD per episode for Squid Game Season 2.