In the midst of the widespread acclaim for the recently released K-Drama ‘Queen of Tears,’ starring Kim Soo-hyun in a leading role, focus has shifted to his appearance fee. Recent revelations indicated that he willingly accepted a reduced fee for his appearance in the show.

As per various media reports, it’s stated that Soo-hyun, who is one of the highest paying actors in the Korean entertainment industry, received ?800 million per episode for his part in ‘Queen of Tears.’ If the actor’s alleged appearance fee were accurate and the show consists of 16 episodes, the total fee would reach ?12.8 billion, which is thrice the ?40 billion production budget.

However, the team behind the show debunked these accusations. Studio Dragon stated, “The claim that he receives ?800 million (approximately Rs 4.9 lakh) is completely false. His actual compensation is significantly lower.”

The rising salaries of actors have become a significant concern for production companies due to the strain they impose on production budgets. This decision of reducing the fee seems to have been influenced by the actor’s awareness of the escalating production expenses. With production costs on the rise, the team behind ‘Queen of Tears’ felt the weight of it on their shoulders, which led to Kim Soo-hyun voluntarily reducing his appearance fee to ease the burden.

The actor chose to support his ongoing project by accepting a fee lower than what he received for his previous project, ‘One Ordinary Day.’ For that show, he was reportedly paid ?500 million (approximately Rs 3 lakh) per episode. Apparently, this decision is believed to have been influenced by the show’s writer Park Ji-eun’s sincere request and Kim Soo-hyun’s loyalty to her. The two have collaborated on projects previously as well.

The acclaimed K-Drama ‘Queen of Tears’ is available to stream on Netflix. Episodes are released every Saturday and Sunday, with the show concluding on April 28.