Variety

'The List 2015' reveals the estimated incomes of the top eight earners in K-Entertainment

Posted by jubilantj182 pts Monday, December 14, 2015

Big Bang, Yoo Ah In, Park Bo Young, Hwang Jung Eum, Park Seo Joon, Yoo Hae Jin

Ever wondered how much dough some of the biggest names in Hallyu, such as Big Bang, Park Seo Joon, Hwang Jung Eum, and Park Bo Young, make? Well, no need to wonder any longer because tvN's 'The List 2015' revealed whose incomes they believe are the highest in the world of K-Entertainment.

The list, which revealed the estimated incomes of a total of eight Hallyu stars, were dominated by actors and actresses; Big Bang was the sole idol group to make the list.

Based on each named star's product endorsements, number of drama episodes they appeared in, film roles, and taking into account the expert opinions from several entertainment industry insiders, a list of the top eight earners was compiled.

In eighth place came Park Bo Young, who scored a total of four endorsement deals in 2015, is speculated to have raised her total income to over 1 billion KRW (~$843,570 USD). In seventh place is the rising actor Park Seo Joon, who is estimated to earn 30 million (~$25,307 USD) KRW per drama episode and an additional 4~500 million KRW (~$337,428 - 421,785 USD) for endorsements, for a total of around 1.08 billion KRW (~$911,055) USD.

Actor Yoo Hae Jin placed sixth on this list, another talented starlet who has been making a notable contribution to the Hallyu wave with his various acting, variety, and endorsement stints. Though 'The List' didn't specify how much they think he makes, we can only imagine his profits are in the millions! The beautiful Hwang Jung Eum preceded Yoo Hae Jin, getting an honorable mention for her long and fruitful career, which had actually begun in K-Pop, not acting.

Starting off the top half the tier was chef and entrepreneur Baek Jong Min, who secured a permanent spot on four variety programs--three of them being cooking-related--along with various endorsements, and not to mention he is the CEO of 26 restaurant franchises with 169 branches across Korea!

In third place was none other than Big Bang, who broke records in both physical and digital album sales with their 'MADE' series. 'The List' predicts that the group profited around 11.5 billion KRW (~$9.7 million USD) just from their album sales alone.

Second place was taken by actor Hwang Jung Min, who had roles in three movies this year, landed six endorsements, and also directed and starred in a musical.

And, finally, the list was topped by young but talented actor Yoo Ah In! The actor is estimated to have raked in around 450 million KRW (~$379,606 USD) for his role in historical period movie 'The Throne,' earned 70 million KRW (~$59,049 USD) for each episode of 'Six Flying Dragons,' and was the face of many brands ranging from coffee, clothing, telecommunications, and more!