After the media reported that actor Ma Dong Seok aka Don Lee outside of South Korea, was paid about ₩500 million KRW (close to $361,000 USD) per episode for his new K-Drama 'Twelve,' he has faced scrutiny.
The report has also prompted public discourse again on actor's salaries in film and television.
Sources from production indicated that Ma's overall compensation for the eight-episode fantasy action drama amounted to ₩4.00 billion KRW (approximately $2.89 million USD).
Park Hyung Sik, who was also a co-star, was said to have received ₩300 million KRW (approximately $217,000 USD) per episode, worth ₩3.20 billion KRW (approximately $2.31 million USD).
Meanwhile, the total pay for all other cast members was below ₩1.00 billion KRW ($722,000 USD), which raised questions about equity and budgeting.
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With overall costs of production estimated at between ₩22.0 billion and ₩23.0 billion KRW (around $15.9–$16.6 million USD), the salaries of the two main actors alone comprised over 34% of the whole budget.
Industry sources indicated how this financial imbalance impacted the quality of production. One source said, "Typically, a lead actor's compensation is 10-15%. If it exceeds 40%, production is impossible. Even 30% is too high."
Since Twelve is a fantasy drama, it necessitated heavy makeup, CGI, and post-production. The uneven actor compensation was reported to result in a downturn in quality towards the latter part of the series.
Although Ma Dong Seok was deeply entrenched in the planning and casting of the series, even within the company, his pay was called into question. "They couldn't help but question the value of his salary," a report said.
On the internet, netizens expressed outrage about the inequality.
One comment read, "A lot of staff members quit because they don't make enough...I don't understand this system..."
Others questioned casting decisions: "Do they really have to pay that much and use Park Hyung Sik?" and "Is Park Hyung Sik popular overseas?"
Some reactions were more blunt. "Seeing things like this makes me happy that the drama didn't do well," one user said.
As debate continues, the issue has highlighted the growing tension between star power and production quality in Korea's entertainment industry.
READ MORE: Ma Dong Seok Expresses Gratitude to Wife Ye Jung Hwa: 'She Took Care of Me When I Was Poor'
