'Too Much' Actor Lim Hyeongjun Makes Bold Statement on Extreme Wage Gap: "The Public Should Evaluate My Worth"

Actor Lim Hyung-jun attracted attention by expressing his belief that high appearance fees for actors should not be taken for granted.

On the 24th, on broadcaster Lee Ji-hye's YouTube channel 'Mipji Anheun Gwanjong Unni', actors Kim Won-hee and Lim Hyung-jun appeared and shared a meal while talking. When asked about his recent activities in the video, Lim Hyung-jun said, "I am currently filming the Disney Plus drama 'Pine'. The difficult shooting is over."

[Photo by YouTube 'Mipjiannheun Gwanjong Unni' capture]

In response, Lee Ji-hye asked, "How much do you get paid for something like that?" Lim Hyung-jun replied, "Honestly, these days people say that the increase in production costs is all due to appearance fee inflation, but only the leads' fees have gone up," and confessed, "Mine is similar to what it was 20 years ago."

He continued, "Honestly, I might get criticized, but I think the salaries of lead actors should be disclosed," expressing his conviction. He added, "When we watch sports like soccer, we all know how much Son Heung-min earns, right? And people evaluate whether he plays up to that level. The public evaluates it."

Regarding actors' appearance fees, he said, "If someone says, 'They got paid that much, but they can only do that much?' then that person doesn't deserve that fee." He emphasized, "I agree that those who can get paid should get paid. But just because everyone does it doesn't mean fees should be inflated." He added, "The reason I keep insisting on this is because production companies always say the problem is the production costs."

When Lee Ji-hye asked, "Do you think you are currently getting paid enough?" Lim Hyung-jun honestly shared, "I think I could get paid a bit more. But if I ask for more, they might not hire me. My child is only 17 months old. I need some backup to have the courage."

Recently, there have been concerns that the domestic drama industry is facing a crisis as the number of drama productions sharply decreases due to excessively high appearance fees for lead actors. The fees for lead actors have risen so much that production companies find it difficult to make a profit even if they hit a 'big hit'.

Previously, actor Ryu Seung-soo also lamented on a broadcast, "As lead actors' appearance fees soar, the number of movie and drama productions has been cut by more than half. If 120 productions were made in a year, now it's almost down to 50," and said, "Actors who are not leads cannot make a living. They even take on two jobs." He also revealed on the broadcast that "The difference in appearance fees between lead and supporting actors is about 20 times."

Netizens responded to Lim Hyung-jun's remarks with comments such as "I really agree," "He speaks calmly and well," "A valid point," and "Not only lead actors but also variety show and musical actors' fees should be disclosed."