Inside Lee Jong-Suk’s Net Worth, One of Korea’s Best-Paid Actors

By helming hits like Pinocchio and W and bagging big-brand commercials by the dozen — amongst other factors — K-drama dreamboat Lee Jong-suk has amassed a jaw-dropping net worth. Needless to say, his lifestyle spells luxury.

At 15, Lee Jong-suk was crowned the youngest male model to ever walk the runway at Seoul Fashion Week. Several years and a short stint as an idol singer later, he’d risen to recognition with the romantic comedy Prosecutor Princess. The rest — as the adage goes — is history. Most recently, the actor made headlines for his relationship with K-pop singer IU — one of the entertainment industry’s most popular celebrities. His filmography is exciting, with titles exploring a range of genres. This, combined with his reputation for being good looking, charming, and philanthropic has accorded him the distinction of a Hallyu heartthrob.

On his part, the star remains determined to make the most of it all, “I plan to consume my image and my acting as much as I can. After I’ve shown so much of myself, I might be driven to find new aspects of myself. Or I might slowly stop getting offers. People might stop being curious about me. Then, I might just disappear (from the acting scene),” he told the Korea Herald. This approach has translated into hard work and hit shows. The latter, in turn, brought several brand endorsements to his doorstep. Today, he’s one of the best-paid actors in the industry — with his lifestyle being marked by luxurious investments. Here’s a look at Lee Jong-suk’s net worth.

Lee Jong-suk’s net worth

Most recently, reports by the Economic Times and Free Press Journal placed Lee Jong-suk’s net worth at USD 32 million. This is likely courtesy of his large fee, endorsements, and successful movies and shows. Several other media outlets have speculated what his wealth would be if he were to get married to his current girlfriend IU — who happens to be one of the industry’s best-paid personalities herself. Sportskeeda places the estimate of their combined fortunes at about USD 78.7 million.

Fees per episode

A 2010 report by South China Morning Post states that at a pay of USD 50,000 (INR 41 lakh approx.) per episode, Lee Jong-suk rubs shoulders with the likes of K-drama kings Song Joong-Ki and Ji Chang Wook. It also notes that for the popular drama Romance Is A Bonus Book alone he earned USD 800,000 (INR 6 crore approx.).

Big brand endorsements

At over 26.3 million followers — Lee Jong-suk is one of the most recognisable faces of entertainment, not just in South Korea but the world. Naturally, brands see incredible value in working with him. Some of the biggest include luxury fashion names Prada and Burberry — both of whom he’s a brand ambassador for. In 2019, a report by the Korea Joongang Daily noted that he’d be representing CJ ENM’s fashion brand Ce& — adding that the brand saw his ‘soft and elegant’ look fit their image.

Meanwhile, Soompi quotes Chinese lifestyle brand Semir — of which he’s a brand ambassador — saying, “Lee Jong Suk, who can pull off a classy and fashionable look in just a simple white button-up, fits our image well. We predict an improvement to our brand image with Lee Jong-suk as our model, him having both great acting skill and looks, and we look forward to the positive effect he will bring to our company.” While his fee per endorsement hasn’t been revealed, it’s safe to assume that it’s quite high.

Real-estate investments

Like most of his peers, Lee Jong-suk has made several real estate investments. The Manila Bulletin notes that he owns three properties in the wealthy Hannam-dong neighbourhood in Yongsan. This includes a unit at the luxurious Nine One Hannam which was priced at USD 4.53 million in 2021. Reportedly, BigBang’s G-Dragon has a penthouse to his name here.

Lee Jong-suk also has space at La Terrasse Hannam — a luxurious 244.33 sq ft. villa in the upscale UN Village — which is currently priced at USD 5.44 million. This aside, he bought a building in Hannam in 2018 at a total area of 154.88 sq. m — complete with a basement and two upset floors — whose market price was about USD 3.62 million in 2021. Current prices are expected to be much higher.

Besides these, Lee Jong-suk also made news for his investments when he paid about USD 3.4 million for an abandoned building. This he later converted into a chic cafe-restaurant called 89Mansion — helping sales by visiting often before the pandemic caused them to dwindle. He sold the building in 2020 at USD 5.1 million, making a tidy profit in the process, South China Morning Post reports.

Philanthropy

Besides luxurious investments, Lee Jong-suk spends his money by advocating against violence for children — donating about USD 93,000 to aid organisation Good Neighbours in 2018 and USD 165,000  to UNICEF Korea.

(All images: @jongsuk0206/instagram)

The story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore