Im Soo-hyang misses out on 15 years of royalties for 'New Tales of Gisaeng'

Actress Im Soo-hyang has shared a story of regret regarding rights issues she was unaware of for a long time, despite the unexpected popularity of her debut work, 'New Tales of Gisaeng'.

Although the drama has been steadily rebroadcast for 15 years, her confession that she did not receive a single cent in rebroadcast royalties highlights the realistic difficulties faced by rookie actors.

Appearing on the SBS variety program 'My Little Old Boy' aired on the 2nd, Im shared her recent updates and stories related to the SBS drama 'New Tales of Gisaeng', which served as the starting point of her acting career.

Im, who is currently performing in the play 'The Lives of Others', described the production as "a work dealing with the story of East German artists and the secret police who monitor them," adding, "I am playing the role of East Germany's top actress in the play."

During the broadcast, the MCs mentioned 'New Tales of Gisaeng', which originally aired in 2011, noting, "It is becoming a hot topic again even among the MZ generation these days."

'New Tales of Gisaeng' garnered significant attention at the time due to writer Im Sung-han's unique dialogue and unconventional plot developments. Im laughed, saying, "Writer Im Sung-han has her own unique way of speaking. Expressions like 'You know' are representative. At first, I didn't know what it meant, but lately, I see many young people imitating it. I was grateful to find out it was my line."

However, despite the steady popularity of the work, she learned about the legitimate rights she should have enjoyed as an actress too late.

"'New Tales of Gisaeng' is still rebroadcast very frequently even now. Even young people say they have watched it," Im confessed. "However, I learned about the system for receiving rebroadcast royalties too late."

She continued, "Later, the association contacted me first. They asked, 'Why haven't you joined? The money you are owed keeps accumulating.'"

But the time already passed could not be turned back. She expressed her regret, saying, "They said I cannot receive the rebroadcast royalties that occurred before I joined."

For an actor, a work is not just a record of appearance but the result of creative labor that lasts for a long time. Especially in an era where broadcast content is continuously consumed through rebroadcasts and online streaming, the rights of performers and settlement systems are emerging as critical issues.

Im's case demonstrates how vital it is for rookie actors to fully understand contracts and rights structures, while prompting discussion on how long-beloved works should compensate performers.

After making her name known through 'New Tales of Gisaeng', Im established herself as a leading actress in various works such as the dramas 'I Do, I Do', 'My ID is Gangnam Beauty', and 'Graceful Friends'. Recently, she has been expanding her reach to the theater stage, continuing to take on new challenges as an actress.