KOREAN PRODUCERS FIGHT "GREEDY" STARS

Director Kang Woo-Suk (of SILMIDO) has ticked off actors Choi Min-Shik (OLDBOY, CRYING FIST) and Song Kang-Ho (JSA, MEMORIES OF MURDER) by citing them as examples of the kinds of actors whose "excessive pursuit of money" has driven up the costs of Korean films to astronomical levels. The two actors have demanded, and received , public apologies.

But the Korean Motion Pictures Producers Association has backed Director Kang's claims, saying that a small number of greedy celebrities basically run the entertainment industry and their demands have gotten out of hand. Their salaries are too high and they, and their agents, want profit-participation without risking any of their own investment in the projects.

In response, the KMPP is trying to establish a training program to make more actors to give the current crop of celebs a run for their money, they want to categorically deny any request for profit-participation from actors, and they want to standardize actor salaries across the board.

Just to keep this all in perspective, the current average cost of a Korean movie is about US$4 million. The exorbitant salaries in question? Just south of US$500,000.

You can read more about it here.