Actor Jeon Won-ju, 86, has stoked controversy after revealing that a pay dispute lay behind her decision to replace the production team of her YouTube channel. Some critics say it was unreasonable to demand a fee increase given that the channel was not turning a profit, while others have pushed back, noting that her per-episode pay was only 700,000 won ($517).
According to industry sources Wednesday, Jeon ended her contract with the existing production team behind her YouTube channel "Jeon Won-ju — Jeon Won-ju-in-gong" and announced plans to release new content with a new crew.
The outgoing team had grown the channel to roughly 110,000 subscribers, prompting widespread speculation about the reasons for the abrupt change.
On Friday, Jeon appeared on actor Samija's YouTube channel and hinted at the pay dispute. "I said let's raise this a little — the production team said they would quit, so I said let's just go ahead," she said. "I can't be too focused on money anymore."
Lee Jin-ho, a former journalist turned YouTuber, recently weighed in on his own channel. "The channel averaged 400,000 to 500,000 views and did not upload videos frequently," he said. "Given the large crew required for that kind of production, it is hard to make serious money at that view count. Raising the appearance fee under those conditions would inevitably create problems with production costs."
Some online commenters have criticized Jeon for what they describe as excessive frugality, citing past episodes of penny-pinching. She had drawn attention after it emerged that she made a substantial fortune investing in stocks — including shares of SK hynix — and gold through her channel. Yet despite her wealth, she also drew ridicule for reportedly pocketing garlic from a barbecue restaurant and ordering a single cup of coffee for three people at a cafe.
As the controversy grew, a close associate who has worked alongside Jeon for nearly 20 years told Sports Seoul on Wednesday that her per-episode appearance fee had been around 700,000 won — a "modest" sum she had "endured" despite lending her name to the channel.
"It is not true that the YouTube hiatus was due to a money dispute or one-sided conflict," the associate said. "We disagreed on the direction of the content and stopped by mutual agreement."
The associate also said that while the "penny-pincher" persona had been played up for views, Jeon's actual spending habits were entirely different. "She pays her staff generously and never skimps on accommodation or meals during location shoots," the associate said. "There are countless events where she accepts no fee at all or just enough for transportation — sometimes she even leaves her fee behind. She quietly brings rice to market vendors and elderly people living alone. She just never talks about it herself."
Jeon built much of her wealth through her own efforts, but she also inherited a substantial estate from her mother, a businesswoman. The family originally ran a prosperous ginseng farm in Gaeseong but fled south during the Korean War, leaving them in financial hardship for a period during Jeon's childhood. Her mother rebuilt the family's fortunes by trading silk at Dongdaemun Market, and in 1958 — an era when it was uncommon for women to attend even middle or high school — sent Jeon to Sookmyung Women's University. Jeon has said that shortly before her mother's death, she inherited a house, commercial properties and luxury watches.
paq@heraldcorp.com
