It was found on the 5th that the average income of entertainers, including television personalities, actors, singers, and models, was lower than that of salaried workers.

[ 2/4/2011 ]

It was found on the 5th that the average income of entertainers, including television personalities, actors, singers, and models, was lower than that of salaried workers. According to the National Tax Service, 21,817 people who identified entertainment as their occupation reported combined earnings of 545.388 billion won in 2009 through business reports filed by value-added-tax-exempt operators. Their average annual income was 24.99 million won per person. This represented a decrease of 3.52 million won, or 12.3%, from the average entertainer income of 28.51 million won in 2008(21,619 filers with total reported earnings of 616.383 billion won). In contrast, the average annual salary of salaried workers(14.295 million people) in 2009 was 25.30 million won, a slight increase from 25.10 million won in the previous year. A simple comparison of 2008 and 2009 shows that the positions of salaried workers and entertainers were reversed, with entertainers’ average income falling slightly below that of salaried workers. This was analyzed as a result of Korea’s economy gradually recovering from the financial crisis in 2009. While salaried workers received some benefits from the recovery, though limited, the `warmth' had not yet reached entertainers evenly. Among entertainers, television personalities and actors were still found to be in a considerably better financial position than singers or models. According to the National Tax Service, the average income of television personalities and actors(11,972 people) in 2009 was 33 million won, exceeding the average salary of ordinary workers. Singers(3,617 people) earned an average of 25 million won, a similar level, while models(6,228 people) earned only 10 million won, considerably less than salaried workers. However, television personalities and actors, who had been relatively better compensated than singers and models, appeared to have suffered a stronger `aftershock of the financial crisis.' The average income of singers decreased by 3.8% from 2008(26 million won), while that of models fell by 9% from 2008(11 million won). In comparison, the average income of television personalities and actors declined by 13.2% from 2008(38 million won).