Number Three Pictures, the drama production company behind “High School Return of a Gangster,” has pledged to reimburse actors for unpaid appearance fees.
119 actors from ‘High School Return of a Gangster’ will finally be paid after a year
The Korea Broadcasting Actors’ Union (Actors’ Union) recently announced, “Number Three Pictures finished filming two productions, ‘High School Return of a Gangster’ and ‘Spirit Fingers’ [working title], last year. However, even after a year, they have yet to pay appearance fees to 119 actors.”
The actors’ union raised concerns with No 3 Pictures for not paying 119 actors their appearance fees for “High School Return of A Gangster” despite filming wrapping up a year ago.
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Demanding immediate payment, the union spokesperson added, “Just for our union members, the unpaid fees total approximately 90 million won [approximately $65,025] for ‘High School Return of a Gangster’, and about 220 million won [approximately $158,996] for ‘Spirit Fingers.’ If we include non-union actors and staff, the total unpaid amount is likely even higher.”
According to the Actors’ Union, a representative from Number Three Pictures responded by visiting them on the morning of July 2, agreeing to settle all outstanding appearance fees by the end of August. The company also assured the union that they will disclose the specific source of funds for the payment.
Despite the delay in payment, the union recognized the challenges faced by the production company in producing the drama under difficult conditions. They urged the company to implement measures to prevent such issues in future productions.
The union plans to monitor whether the non-payment issue is resolved by the promised payment due date and devise future response plans accordingly.
Additionally, the union highlighted that production companies’ practices occur annually. Production staff can demand legal protection, but actors often struggle to secure proper legal rights as they are not always considered workers. Raising these issues can also be challenging for actors due to fears of not being cast by other companies.
To address this, the union plans to bring attention to the issue at upcoming press conferences and explore all options, including legal action, to ensure fair compensation for the actors.
