Actor Im Ju-hwan's reality of working at a Coupang logistics center during a gap between projects came to light, and with actor Min Do-hee's search for part-time work also revealed, the practical livelihood issues of actors are drawing renewed attention. While top stars receive multibillion-won appearance fees, many actors are choosing livelihood-driven part-time jobs to endure gaps between projects, a reality that has been exposed.
Recently, Im Ju-hwan's agency said "he has experience working at a Coupang logistics center during a past gap between projects." A sighting report that spread online has been confirmed as true. He is currently preparing his next project, and that work has already ended.
That a actor who debuted in 2003 and had lead roles in numerous dramas and films worked at a logistics center surprised many. However, considering the current content market, where the number of productions has declined and investment has contracted, many found the choice understandable.
This case is not unique to Im Ju-hwan. Actor Jung Sung-il, who became known for the Netflix series The Glory, also revealed that he once worked as a substitute driver, valet parking attendant and Coupang delivery worker. He said "the appearance fees were not large and I had debts, so I did part-time jobs to make a living," and "I was able to stop only after I could support myself solely through acting."
Actor Min Do-hee also recently shared practical concerns on SBS' My Little Old Boy. He, who won great love for the drama Reply 1994, looked for part-time job postings during an acting gap and asked, "Are there no weekday part-time jobs?", and a scene of him calling a café to apply was broadcast. He actively sought work, even explaining his café experience, but was rejected because he had no closing shift experience, and he said long-term work is difficult because he has to balance it with his acting schedule.
Their cases are connected to the current structure of the content industry. Recently, as the number of film and drama productions has decreased and investment has shrunk, opportunities to appear have declined. With major OTT projects and some star actors drawing projects, many actors are experiencing long gaps, analysts say.
On the other hand, the extremely high appearance fees of some top actors continue to be a hot topic. In the global OTT era, per-episode fees of hundreds of millions of won have been mentioned, and contract cases at the level of tens of billions of won depending on the scale of a project have been reported, further highlighting income gaps among actors.
Of course, not all actors work under the same conditions. Appearance fees can vary greatly depending on a project's scale and role, box office performance and global recognition. Still, inside and outside the industry, voices continue that "the gap between a few top stars and many actors is growing," "a hit project does not guarantee a stable livelihood," and "on screen they are glamorous, but during gaps many actors worry about making a living."
The cases of Im Ju-hwan, Jung Sung-il and Min Do-hee make us reconsider not only individual choices but also the reality of actors behind the bright spotlight and the polarized structure of the content industry.
[Photo] 'OSEN DB, My Little Old Boy'
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