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https://scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3109746/k-drama-made-park-seo-joon-millionaire-why-did-itaewon Celebrities
K-drama made Park Seo-joon a millionaire – why did the Itaewon Class star spend US$9 million on prime Seoul real estate?
The CF King works with Tommy Hilfiger and Montblanc, made cameos in Record of Youth and Parasite and starred in hit series like What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, Hwarang: the Poet Warrior Youth and Itaewon Class
These good looks have helped make Park Seo-joon a CF King with millions in the bank. Photo: @bn_sj2013/Instagram
Actor Park Seo-joon is one of South Korea’s most bankable stars. Earlier this year, he underlined his spending power by buying a building in Seoul’s Gangnam district for US$9 million, inviting his long-time glam team to relocate and occupy the 3rd to 5th floors at a discounted rate in light of the pandemic. Following the news of his latest purchase, we take a closer look at Park’s career, tracing his steady rise in the Korean entertainment industry.
After appearing in Bang Yong Guk’s I Remember music video, the Korean actor made his debut with a minor role in Perfect Game, a 2011 movie about the top baseball pitchers of the 1980s.
He then starred in a string of top-rated K-dramas, making a big impression on viewers with his acting range. His notable series include Kill Me, Heal Me, She Was Pretty, Hwarang: the Poet Warrior Youth, Fight for My Way, and Itaewon Class. For his performance in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, critics dubbed him the “Master of Romantic Comedy”.
According to Soompi, Park Seo-joon reportedly earned US$25,000 per episode of She Was Pretty. This was back in 2015, and with the number of big projects he has had since then, it’s safe to say Seo-joon has made a tidy sum from K-dramas.
But don’t forget Seo-joon’s films too. His first lead role in a movie, Midnight Runners, was a success, with it making US$13.6 million in the first five days of its release. In 2019, he solidified his hallyu status when he made a cameo appearance in the Oscar-winning film Parasite , which has raked in more than US$264 million worldwide.
“Parasite,” the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has released new stills of Park Seo Joonhttps://t.co/OZWGQiQzxt#dootastyle#dramastyle#askkpop#kdrama #Parasite#ChoYeojeong#ParkSodam #ChoiWoosik #SongKangho#JangHyejin #parkseojoon pic.twitter.com/StUoI4KV8S
— Muzdrama (@Dao95Anh) June 14, 2019
Seo-joon’s success is reinforced by the sheer number of products and brands he endorses. Crowned one of Korea’s “CF Kings”, he has endorsed luxury brand Montblanc, high-end beauty and clothing brands Laneige and Tommy Hilfiger, skincare brand Dr. Jart+ and others.
Seo-joon’s fame extends to social media, where he is the first Korean actor to receive a YouTube Gold Creator Award, commonly known as the Gold Play Button. Last June, he unveiled the button in a live-stream in celebration of surpassing one million subscribers. According to Content Career, the average salary of a YouTuber with one million subscribers is US$57,200 per year.
In terms of spending his wealth, Seo-joon generally maintains a low profile, preferring to give back instead. According to his agency via Soompi, he donated US$83,800 to flood victims in August 2020, and in February, he donated the same amount to the city of Daegu to help fund medical equipment to fight Covid-19.