"Age of Feeling" Extras Company Shuts Down after Failing to Receive 1 Billion Won from Production and Broadcast Companies

Korea’s oldest (53-year-old) extras production company Hankuk Art (est. 1961), which was in charge of the extras for various productions, recently shut down after the situation with dramas failing to fully compensate cast and crew.

Hankuk Art recently said to Daily Sports, “We shut down last month. Last year alone, we had a deficit of 400 million won (approx. 390,000 USD). We weren’t able to pay our taxes in full, and were not able to meet the requirements for a continued service contract with KBS. Because we would have to meet similar requirements for MBC and SBS as well, it would have been difficult for us to continue the business.”

According to an industry official, Hankuk Art not only failed to receive about 200 million won from KBS’s “Age of Feeling,” they have continuously had trouble receiving payment from dramas in the past, such as MBC’s “The Legend” (2007), “Love & Law” (2008), KBS’s “Secret Agent Miss Oh” (2010), etc. Hankuk Actors said, “Up until last year, we failed to receive around 700 to 800 million won from production and broadcast companies. This year, with ‘Age of Feeling,’ the total outstanding amount reaches 1 billion won (approx. 976,000 USD).

Currently the “Age of Feeling” actors have also failed to receive their pay. (See: “Age of Feeling” Actors Still Waiting for Rightful Payments)

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