Ha Yeon-soo Opens Up About Her Experiences in the Japanese Entertainment Industry on Radio Star

On the December 11 episode of MBC's entertainment show Radio Star (라디오스타), actress Ha Yeon-soo candidly shared her thoughts on her activities in the Japanese entertainment industry. Host Kim Gu-ra complimented her, saying, "You used to have a turtle vibe, but now you feel more like a grown-up." Ha Yeon-soo revealed that her initial plan was to study art in Japan, where the tuition for a private art school was around 150 million won per year. She humorously noted, "What I learned was like stealing, so I looked into agencies and decided to pursue acting instead."

She went on to explain the financial differences, stating, "The guarantee in Japan was only 1/11 of what it is in Korea. Public broadcasting has lower fees, and the payment varies based on how much you appear on screen." However, she mentioned that she earned significantly more through various advertisements. Ha Yeon-soo shocked everyone by recalling her first advertisement shoot, where she was paid just 30,000 won.

Reflecting on her early days, she said, "Since I wasn't well-known and faced limitations due to my nationality, I was surprised to receive only 30,000 won for a magazine shoot. After eight months of this, I started to wonder if this was okay, and then I received a drama offer that changed everything."