Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo’s K-drama: Record-Breaking Production Budget of 80 Billion Won

Based on OSEN’s inquiry on April 25, it has been revealed that screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung is currently developing a K-drama with 20-24 episodes, covering the time period from the Korean War to the 1980s. The drama is a collaboration between Studio Dragon and Noh Hee-kyung’s agency.

It has been reported that Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo, two prominent figures in the K-drama industry, are currently considering appearing in the upcoming historical K-drama by our Blues writer.

The estimated production cost per episode for this new project is around 3 billion won (equivalent to approximately 2.1 million USD), resulting in a total production budget of 80 billion won (equal to about 58 million USD). Ongoing discussions are taking place regarding the placement of the upcoming K-drama on OTT platforms.

Last year, Disney+ invested 50 billion won (approx 36 million USD) in production costs for their original series “Moving,”which consisted of 20 episodes.

Despite its rare scale within the domestic market, the production gained considerable recognition and international acclaim. There is speculation that Noh Hee-kyung’s upcoming period drama, with its lengthy episode count, will require a higher production budget, potentially surpassing the scale of “Moving.”

Despite the fact that the script has not been completed, there remains the possibility for alterations. In light of this, Studio Dragon has expressed their cautious stance to OSEN, stating, “As the project is still in its planning stage without a finalized script, the precise number of episodes and production budget have yet to be determined.”

Link: Daum