When two of South Korea’s two top stars came together to film a romantic comedy — sparks flew, records were broken, and awards were amassed. Along the way, the two earned a reputation for being K-drama darlings — bagging numerous endorsement deals and upping their fees per episode. Needless to say, they boasted quite the fortune — with numbers doubling and their popularity soaring since they announced their relationship and later tied the knot. Here’s a look at the combined net worth of Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin.
In 2019, the story of a South Korean heiress who finds herself stranded in North Korea and falls for a North Korean officer captured the hearts of millions around the globe. Viewership clocked at millions — with Crash Landing On You being declared a Hallyu stalwart. No surprises that its two leads — both household names in their own right with long-standing careers — gained considerable popularity with this success.
Endorsement deals and several other big budget projects followed — earning them a spot in the ranks of the highest-paid actors and actresses of the industry. Both had doubled their fortunes seemingly overnight. Things only picked up the pace when dating rumours began swirling — which were eventually confirmed in 2021. Their love story translated to a large brand value, with joint appearances being highly valued. Today, they are married, have a son, and hold the reputation for being one of the country’s wealthiest celebrity couples. We’re diving into the combined net worth of Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin.
Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin — who played the lead roles — were immediately thrust into the spotlight, bagging endorsements and awards by the dozen. While accepting the Grand Prize at the 2020 APAN Star Awards, the actor stated, “I’m so grateful to Yoon Se-Ri, Ye-jin, who was the best partner for Jung-Hyuk.”
The two had earlier worked together on the action thriller movie The Negotiation (2018), making this reunion significant for both. “I had worked with and gotten close to [Son Ye Jin] through The Negotiation, and she was an actress I really wanted to work with again. The opportunity came, and I happily took it,” Soompi quotes Hyun Bin as saying. Son Ye Jin reportedly added, “After working with him, I wanted to work with him again in a nice romantic comedy. I also didn’t hesitate to choose this project.”
An important addition to their endorsement repertoire, however, was the couple’s Valentine’s Day advertisement for a Philippines’ wireless communications company Smart Communications. In it, the ‘star-crossed’ lovers — reuniting for the first time on screen since Crash Landing On You and going public with their relationship — were seen in a futuristic setting, with Hyun Bin searching for Son Ye Jin who’s in a different dimension, following the theme of their hit drama. With the power of the brand’s 5G network, they meet with him asking, “Do you believe this is possible?” and her responding, “I do.”
Son Hye Jin and Hyun Bin joined the brand as ambassadors in August and June respectively. “The wait is over for all of us K-fans who have been wishing for Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin to be together again. We heard your clamour, and we read all your #InSmartWeTrust posts so we knew this was inevitable,” Channel News Asia quotes Jane Basas, Smart Communications’ SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business.
Extravagant homes and real estate investments
SCMP places the couple’s combined property value at USD 27 million (approx. S$35.9 million) This includes their penthouse in Achiul Village — an eco-friendly neighbourhood in Seoul that also houses JYP Entertainment’s CEO Park Jin-young. The house — worth USD 4.3 million (approx. S$5.7 million) — comes with skylights, walk-in wardrobes, elegant designs, rooftop gardens, and luxurious artwork. The furniture from the dining space, kitchen, and living room alone adds up to about USD 185,000 (approx. S$246,000).
This aside, a 2020 report by Today Online notes that the actress bought a USD 19 million (approx. 25 million) commercial building in the opulent Gangnam District. The six-storey space houses many businesses and boasts a rent of USD 53,400 a month (approx. S$71,000). Hyun Bin, meanwhile, reportedly also bought an entire building in Gangnam which cost him USD 4 million (approx. S$5.3 million) and is worth USD 8.9 million (approx. S$11.8 million) now. It won the 35th Seoul Architecture Awards’ Excellence Award in 2017.
Credit
COMMENTS