Recently, many dramas have been showing high budgets for their production and that is interesting many. Dramas with fantasy and action often require more budget for sets and special effects. Some production team even film out of Korea. Of course, the casting of top Hallyu actor is also an important part of the budget.

Not only Korean movies invest in production cost but also K-Dramas. Have you ever wonder how much is the production cost of a drama?

Here is a list of 8 Korean dramas with the highest production costs.

1- “Arthdal Chronicles” – 54 billion won

“Arthdal Chronicles” is the first ancient times' fantasy drama of Korea. The drama cast includes top Hallyu actors Song Joong-ki and Jang DongGun. The drama is divided into three parts making it an 18 episodes drama.

A part of the production was done in Brunei. Another part of the filming was also done in the city of Osan, located down in the South of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. They built a set for the drama, you can visit it.

The drama is produced by the famous Studio Dragon that has produced high-quality dramas “Mr. Sunshine“, “Memories of the Alhambra” and more. The production was estimated to be 3 billion won per episode.

tvN

2- “Mr. Sunshine“ – 30 billion Korean won

“Mr. Sunshine” is a drama with Lee Byung-hun and Kim TaeRi. It is number 2 among the expensive K-Dramas. They spent more than 1.5 billion Korean won per episode. Just a look at the short teaser and you will understand why it is that expensive.

3- “Vagabond” – 25 billion Korean won

“Vagabond” is an upcoming drama. Lee Seung-gi and Suzy re-unite for that drama. Shin SungRok is also part of the cast. A part of the production was done overseas and the drama will have numerous action scenes. The drama will broadcast in September in Korea and on Netflix.

SBS

4- “Kingdom“ – 20 billion Korean won

“Kingdom” is a drama of Netflix that aired in January. It is a historical period and thriller series with zombies that is set in Joseon. Actors such as Ju JiHoon, Ryu SeungRyong, and Bae DooNa are part of the cast. One episode is said to be around 1.5/2 billion.

Netflix

5- “Criminal Minds” – 20 billion Korean won

“Criminal Minds” (2017) with Lee JoonGi is part of the K-Dramas that are remakes from U.S. TV Series. Its production cost was high with around 1 billion per episode.

tvN

6- “Iris 2” – 20 billion Korean won

“Iris 2” (2013) is an espionage drama that starred Jang Hyuk, Lee DaHae, and Lee BeomSoo. It was aired following the huge success of “Iris” in 2009.

KBS

7- “Saimdang, Light’s Diary” – 20 billion Korean won

“Saimdang, Light’s Diary” gained much attention in 2017! It was the big return of actress Lee YoungAe. It is about the famous artist and calligrapher that lived during the Joseon Dynasty. The drama takes place in the present and the past.

SBS

8- “Are You Human Too?” – 10 billion Korean won

“Are You Human Too?” is a drama with Seo KangJoon and Gong SeungYeon! The production crew spent much money on CG and special effects as the drama is related to robotic. Moreover, the drama was partially filmed in the Czech Republic.

KBS

Are you surprised or you expected these dramas?