Veteran Korean Actress Confirms That China Pays Actors Ten Times Higher Than Korea

According to Korean actress Hong Soo Ah, the difference in appearance fees in Korea and China is shockingly high.

In a recent YouTube video, Hong was asked about working in the Chinese entertainment industry. She highlighted both the pros and cons, mentioning that despite the working environment not being as good as Korea, the contracts are usually favorable toward actors.

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

However, Hong added that if some scenes remained, especially in an on-location shoot, actors would usually work it out flexibly and complete a few more hours of filming.

But it turns out that, more than favorable contracts, the appearance fee in China would be the bigger benefit for actors. When she was asked about the speculation about her pay being ten times higher in her Chinese projects, Hong acknowledged it, saying, “Yes, that’s correct.”

Hong, however, made it clear that working in China is not a cakewalk, as industry standards are not the same. Recalling one of her earlier projects, she shared that she had filmed in the middle of Winter, and her room had no access to hot water. “There was a brief moment when hot water would come out, so I had to quickly wash my hair. There was no heating, so I would sleep with just one heater,” she added.

Meanwhile, the appearance fee of Korean actors in Korea itself has recently become a hot topic online, as netizens feel it is exorbitantly high compared to the Japanese industry. Read more about it here.