(SBS)

“Scarlet Heart: Ryeo,” starring actor Lee Joon-gi and singer IU has set a new record for the most expensive drama sold, topping the mega-hit drama “Descendants of the Sun.“

Korean dramas are a booming craze all around Asia, and its overwhelming popularity comes with a heavy price tag.

When “Descendants of the Sun” premiered, airing rights for each episode was sold for an impressive $250,000. The 16-episode drama earned the production companies $4 million in broadcasting rights.

Likewise, “Uncontrollably Fond” sold for $250,000 per episode, and the 20 episode drama earned the production companies $5 million.

Although these dramas earned a record-breaking sum, the new SBS drama “Scarlet Heart: Ryeo“ has raised the bar significantly.

(SBS)

The period drama has reportedly been sold for more than $400,000 per episode to the Chinese broadcasting station YouKu, surmounting to over $8 million.

According to the production team, the cost per episode would have been more if not for the political tension between Korea and China over the deployment of the THAAD system.

“Scarlet Heart: Ryeo” is a period drama and will premiere on Aug. 29 on SBS.

Check out the trailer below:



By Lee Sang-won (sangdoze@heraldcorp.com)