New Korean drama series sells for $120,000 per episode in China

Boosted by the Asiawide popularity of Korean soaps known as “hallyu,” a new South Korean drama starring actress Jang Nara has set a sale record for Korean TV series released online in China, local industry sources said Friday.

The online transmission rights for the MBC drama series “Fated to Love You” were recently sold for $120,000 (120 million won) per episode, three times higher than the $40,000 per episode for “My Love from the Star,” which recently reignited a fever for Korean TV series in China.

Last year, the rights for “The Heirs,” an SBS TV drama starring actor Lee Min-ho, were sold for $30,000 per episode.

Since the huge success of “My Love from the Star,” China’s market for broadcasting Korean dramas on the Internet, in particular for those featuring hallyu stars, has experienced fast growth, pushing up the sale prices for such dramas over the past six months, according to the sources. (Yonhap)