Song Joong Ki, who is basking in the success of his latest dark comedy series Vincenzo, is one of the highest-paid actors in the South Korean entertainment industry. Having started his journey in the showbiz as a contestant in KBS' Quiz Korea, he has today created a niche for himself in the TV and film industry.
Journey
His first stint in acting begun with A Frozen Flower in 2008 and turned a regular host of KBS Friday music program Music Bank in 2009. He got his first big break in his role of the indolent playboy of 18 century in the Sungkyunkwan Scandal, while also working in the films like OB & GY and Hearty Paws 2.
His popularity crossed the boundaries after working in the film A Werewolf Boy as it was premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. In the same year, the 35-year old won a lot of appreciation for his performance in the anti-hero role in The Innocent Man.
In the next few years, Song Joong Ki was part of successful shows like Descendants of the Sun and Arthdal Chronicles, while also being part of films like The Battleship Island and Space Sweepers.
Remuneration:
He is one of the few South Korean actors whose movies get good viewership among the international audiences on Netflix. This also means his reach is big which eventually translates into money. For an instance, the rights of Descendants Of The Sun per episode in Japan were sold at $100,000, per episode.
As per the latest reports, the former husband of Song Hye-kyo, is paid at least $50,000, per K-drama episode.
Net Worth:
The Vincenzo star also makes good revenue from brand endorsements. In 2016, he was the face of over 30 products which holds a mirror to his selling abilities, In 2019, he and his former wife Song Hye-kyo had together made US$34.5 million.
The actor has also made good investments in real estate. He owns a couple of properties that include a villa in the Seocho District worth about US$2.2 million, a mansion in Itaewon worth about $8.6 million, and a vacation home in Hawaii worth $2.88 million.
His estimated net worth is over $15 million.
