Actress Im Soo-hyang reveals 15 years of unpaid rerun royalties for debut drama

South Korean actress Im Soo-hyang shared a surprising detail about her early career, revealing that she did not receive any rerun royalties for her debut drama, 'New Tales of Gisaeng,' for a full 15 years. The popular drama, which has been frequently re-aired, generated significant revenue through reruns, yet Im Soo-hyang remained unpaid.

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'New Tales of Gisaeng' has been replayed so many times for 15 years, but I've never received rerun fees. What happened?

Appearing as a special guest on the SBS variety show 'My Little Old Boy,' Im Soo-hyang explained her lack of awareness regarding the system for collecting rerun fees. At the time of 'New Tales of Gisaeng,' she was unfamiliar with the operational procedures of performance unions and royalty collection systems. This lack of knowledge meant she missed out on earnings that were rightfully hers.

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At the time, I didn't know the system of the union, like the Korea Broadcasting Performers Union.

It was only later, after appearing in the drama 'Iris 2,' that Im Soo-hyang became aware of the system. She mentioned that the relevant union eventually reached out to her, inquiring why she hadn't joined. However, due to the timing, she was informed that she could only claim royalties for reruns that occurred after she officially became a member. This left her unable to collect the substantial amount accumulated over the 15 years prior.

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Later, the union contacted me, asking why I wasn't joining and saying that money was accumulating. After joining the system with the drama 'Iris 2,' I learned that I couldn't receive the rerun fees that occurred before I joined.