Korean drama not only has a good storyline, but also has a healthy content, a strong cast and superb acting skills, which is why its popularity has risen steadily in the past few years. But good quality comes from good production, and good production requires a lot of capital investment. In order to let everyone know the production cost, we have listed the 10 Korean dramas with the highest production cost.
10. Memories of the Alhambra
"Memories of the Alhambra" is a fantasy romance drama starring two top K-pop stars Hyun Bin and Park Shin Hye in 2018. This is an AR game-themed TV series. With Granada, Spain as the background, more scenes took place in Budapest, Hungary and Slovenia. The drama is one of the most watched Korean dramas in the history of cable TV. It is widely acclaimed for its creative plot and unexpected turn. It has attracted attention for its unique augmented reality theme and won praise for its high-end computer graphics, film photography and fast-paced storytelling. So it is not surprising that a lot of money was spent on the production of this show. The production cost is estimated at 20 billion won, or about $16.5 million.
9. Druna Hotel
"Druna Hotel" is a love fantasy drama starring Li Zhien and Lv Zhenjiu . It tells the story of an elite hotel manager who is together with a beautiful but withdrawn boss due to a destined event The story of running the Druna Hotel. The special effects of the show are excellent and contain many fantasy elements, special performances with stars and expensive costumes. According to reports, IU’s costumes cost more than 10 million won per episode, and the production cost is estimated at 20 billion won.
8. Criminal Psychology
This drama is adapted from the American TV series "Criminal Psychology" of the same name, starring Lee Jun Ki and Moon Chae Won. This TV series is about a group of well-trained profilers in the National Criminal Investigation Team who solve crimes by tracking criminals. "Criminal Minds" is well received for its tortuous plots and unexpected scenes. The production cost of 20 episodes is approximately $18.5 million.
7. The legend of the blue sea
is proud of its fascinating storyline, talented production team and first-class cast. It is starred by the two highest paid Korean actors Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Min-ho. The play tells the love story of a mermaid and a talented liar in the city. Filming of the film started in 2016, most of the production work was done in Palau and Spain, and the production cost was approximately US$19 million. The show brings together the two biggest Hallyu stars to date, and has set off a frenzy of ratings since its premiere.
6. Saimdang: Light's Diary
"Saimdang: Light's Diary" is a 2017 costume romance series starring Lee Young Ae and Song Seung Hyun . Shin Saimdang, played by Lee Young Ae, was a notorious artist and calligrapher from the Gojoseon period in the early 16th century. This drama has received a lot of attention in 2017 because it is the comeback of actress Lee Young Ae. The last time she appeared on the small screen was in the hit drama "Dae Jang Geum" 14 years ago. Its production budget It is 22.5 billion won or 20 million US dollars. The broadcast rights of the show in China were sold for US$267,000 per episode, breaking the record set by the hit drama "Descendants of the Sun" in 2016.
5. Kingdom
"The Kingdom" is Netflix's first original Korean drama, which premiered on January 25, 2019. The story takes place in the Joseon Dynasty in the 15th century, and an unprecedented terrifying plague spread among the people. The structure of the film, as well as the attention to details of the clothing and set, are also known for the quality of the large screen. The series cost more than 1.78 million US dollars per episode, for a total of 21.4 million US dollars.
4. Drifters on
"Drifters on the Road" is an action drama premiered in 2019, starring Lee Seung Gi and Bae Soo Chi . It tells the story of spy warfare in the process of exposing the corruption case of the country, who is implicated in the crash of a civil airliner. The filming of the film began in June 2018. It is 100% pre-production, which is different from the previous mode of filming and broadcasting of Korean dramas. It also went to Portugal, Morocco and other places for real shooting. Numerous large-scale action scenes have been added. cost of production. The total production cost is estimated to be 25 billion KRWYuan, about 21.5 million US dollars.
3. The King: Forever Monarch
has become one of the most anticipated TV series in the first half of 2020 due to its cast, screenwriter and extensive publicity. The play is Lee Min Ho's first work after his retirement. The production team used many special effects on action scenes and fantasy elements to create beautiful image beauty. According to reports, the total production cost is estimated to be 30 billion won, or about 25 million US dollars.
2. Mr. Sunshine
's "Mr. Sunshine" era was set in the 19th century in Seoul, North Korea. For this purpose, equipment for South Korea's early 1900s environment was specially built, and scenes for battle scenes were set up. Special effects production under the historical background and the starring of top actor Lee Byung Hun, the production team spent more than 1.5 billion won per episode, and the total cost was about 40 billion won. Critics praised this TV series for its profound story and its ability to raise the audience's awareness of history. Its photography and plot are also well received.
1. Asda Chronicles
"Asda Chronicles" is a fantasy romantic drama set in ancient times. A fictional ancient fantasy romance drama featuring fantasy and history, bringing together two top Hallyu stars Song Joong Ki and Jang Dong Gun, spending huge amounts of money to set up shooting scenes. Most of the filming took place in Brunei, and the scene was set in a simple era before civilization began. In order to create fantasy elements, a lot of money is spent on computer graphics production. According to reports, the total production cost of the film exceeds 50 billion won, or about 45 million US dollars. Despite having an all-star lineup and huge production budget, the show received mixed reviews and ratings were lower than expected. Fans of "Game of Thrones" criticized the similarities between the show and "Game of Thrones", while critics believed that the show did not make good use of computer special effects technology and the plot development was slow. The audience is also confused by the historical background, because the background of the play is the Bronze Age, but the actors wear armor and weapons that do not belong to that era.
Are you surprised by the huge production budget of these TV shows? If there is a show you like, please like and forward it to the editor.
