Did IU and Park Bo-gum really earn Dh1.27 million per episode of When Life Gives You Tangerines? Here's the truth

When Life Gives You Tangerines, a heartfelt drama starring IU and Park Bo Gum, continues to resonate with viewers as it explores the emotional journey of people striving to build their lives. The show has drawn significant attention, partly due to IU’s highly anticipated return to K-Dramas after a six-year hiatus.

Recently, reports started doing the rounds that IU received 500 million won (approx. $345,000, around Dh1.27 million.) per episode for her role in the show. However, a representative from Pan Entertainment, the drama’s production company, stated to multiple media outlets, “The claim that IU received 500 million won per episode is completely false.”

The controversy started when an anonymous post claimed that IU and Park Bo Gum were earning 500 million won per episode for When Life Gives You Tangerines. It also alleged Park Hyung-sik received the same amount for Doctor Slump and Lee Jung Jae earned 1 billion won per episode for Squid Game 2.

When Life Gives You Tangerines, starring IU and Park Bo Gum, is a coming-of-age drama set in 1950s Jeju, following the lives of two characters, Ae Soon and Gwan Shik, through four seasons.