The Korean film industry continues to grow at an alarming pace. After “Silmido” opened an era of 10-million ticket sellers in 2004, four more films quickly followed suit. “The Host” recently set a new record, taking the top spot from the “King and the Clown,” which itself brought more than 12.3 million Koreans to the theaters earlier this year. But the growth in the industry means the amount Chungmuro’s biggest names are charging for appearances on the big screen is also shooting through the roof. How does it compare to overall production costs?

How Much Do They Make?

Clockwise from left: Bae Yong-joon, Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jang Dong-gun, Jang Jin-young, Jeon Do-yeon, Jeon Ji-hyun and Lee Young-ae

A Japanese newspaper lavished acclaim on Korean actor Song Gang-ho, advising Japanese moviegoers to take note of any film with the actor’s name on its list of credits.

The Japanese daily Mainichi Shimbun said Thursday, “If there are two types of Korean actors popular in Japan, one consists of actors like Bae Yong-jun and the other of character actors like Song Gang-ho. Song is an actor who devotes himself to acting.”

The Japanese newspaper reported, “Song played a wide range of roles from a soldier to a wrestler, murderer, barber and explorer. In particular, the movie 'Memory of Murder' served as a turning point for him. Recognized for his brilliant capability to portray various characters, his work schedule is booked tight for the next two years.” The newspaper told movie fans to pay attention to any film in which Song appears.