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Celebrities

8 highest-paid Korean CF stars, from K-pop icons BTS and Blackpink’s Jennie, to Jirisan’s Jun Ji-hyun and football player Son Heung-min – who made the most millions in 2021?

STORYJi Won Chung
Jun Ji-hyun, BTS and Blackpink’s Jennie are among the highest-paid CF stars in Korea. Photos: Alexander McQueen, Big Hit Entertainment, @jennierubyjane/Instagram
Jun Ji-hyun, BTS and Blackpink’s Jennie are among the highest-paid CF stars in Korea. Photos: Alexander McQueen, Big Hit Entertainment, @jennierubyjane/Instagram
K-pop idols

  • Chanel muse Jennie raked in a whopping US$4.1 million and signed three endorsement deals that were held by CF Queen Bae Suzy of Netflix’s Start-Up fame
  • Park Seo-joon made US$8.2 million while Jirisan K-drama star Jun Ji-hyun became the first South Korean ambassador for fashion brand Alexander McQueen

South Korea’s hottest celebrities show their impact not only through their music and acting roles, but also through brand endorsements known as CFs or commercial films in Korea. As such, it’s only natural for the most sought-out K-stars to rake in outrageous amounts of money, and the variety show Entertainment Company Live recently released a list of stars who’ve earned the most through CFs alone this year.

Here are the top eight Korean celebrities who brought in the biggest bucks through their CFs.

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8. Youn Yuh-jung

Estimated earnings: 2.1 billion won (US$1.7 million)

Yoon Yuh-jung made history when she won the best actress in a supporting role for Minari. Photo: Reuters
Yoon Yuh-jung made history when she won the best actress in a supporting role for Minari. Photo: Reuters
Veteran actress Yoon Yuh-jung comes in at eighth place with estimated earnings of 2.1 billion won (about US$1.7 million), reports Star Today. Her performance in Minari won her the Academy Award for best supporting actress early this year, making her the first Korean woman and second Asian woman to win an acting Oscar.

With this on top of her already existing fame in Korea, the 74-year-old has become highly sought out for commercials. She appeals to a wide audience and reportedly modelled for seven brands this year, ranging from beer to homeware companies.

7. Lim Young-woong

Estimated earnings: 2.8 billion (US$2.3 million)

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