Song Hye Kyo Reportedly Gets Paid S$650K Per Instagram Post
The endorsement queen has proven that she’s worth every penny.
Not only is Song Hye Kyo, 39, one of the most popular stars in Korea, but she is also one of its highest paid.
The Descendants Of The Sun and Encounter actress reportedly earns US$42,000 (S$57,000) per episode for her dramas, on top of the millions she takes home from endorsement deals.
According to Korean entertainment show TMI News, which recently released a list of the highest paid celebrity brand ambassadors, Hye Kyo, who is ranked 12th on the list, commands at least 900 million won (S$1.1mil) to endorse a product.
And if you want a sponsored post on Instagram, like the one that she did for Fendi below, be prepared to fork out 540 million won (about S$650K).
The endorsement queen, who has 11.4 million followers on Instagram, has proven that she is worth every penny.
According to TMI News, sales for Laneige’s BB cushion surged after the actress was seen using it in 2013 drama That Winter, The Wind Blows, and it sold some one million units in a year.
Hye Kyo proved her selling power again in 2016 when Laneige sold 160,000 lipsticks in just one month after it was featured in Descendants of the Sun.
The Sulwhasoo lippie that she also used in Encounter flew off the shelves too, and the brand said sales jumped by six times thanks to Hye Kyo.
But she doesn’t just endorse anything. Hye Kyo is reportedly very selective about the brands and products she associates herself with.
And this year alone, she has signed four endorsement deals, earning her a cool 3.6bil won (about S$4.3mil).
Taking top spot on the list of highest paid brand ambassadors is the world's biggest boy band BTS.
The guys, who recently collaborated with McDonald’s on a BTS Meal, reportedly received a whopping 10bil won (S$12mil) to promote the meal. The special menu 'tour' created a frenzy when it was introduced in nearly 50 countries worldwide.
In addition, BTS also appeared in 13 ads for products like vitamins and massage chairs, earning them some 62bil won (S$74mil).
In second place is actor Kim Soo Hyun, 33. His endorsement fees reportedly surged from 600mil won (S$710K) in 2012 to 1bil won (S$1.2mil) the following year after starring in 2013 hit drama My Love From The Star. He also became highly sought-after in China, earning as much as 10mil yuan (S$2.9mil) per endorsement.
According to reports, he raked in 30bil won (S$35.6mil) from 17 endorsements in 2014 and has already signed nine deals this year.
Coming in third is Soo hyun’s My Love From The Star co-star Jun Ji Hyun, 39. Not only did her character in the drama spark a chimek (chicken and beer) craze in Korea and China, the clothes, accessories and make-up she wore flew off the shelves.
Ji Hyun’s endorsement fees soared to 1bil won (S$1.2 mil) in 2013 and she earned 20bil won (S$24mil) from endorsements that year.
In fifth place is national footballer and Tottenham star Son Heung Min with 15.6bil won (S$18.5mil), followed by actor Park Bo Gum who earned 8.5 bil won (S$11mil), and Park Seo Joon who took home 7bil won (S$8.3mil) just from lending his mug to products.