South Korean women’s golf legend Pak Se-ri recently appeared on a domestic variety program, where she drew widespread attention by revealing that she once amassed more than ₩10 billion (approximately $7.3 million) from endorsement deals alone during the height of her athletic career.
Pak, whose trailblazing success on the LPGA Tour pioneered the rise of South Korean women’s golf and inspired a generation of world-class players, shared these candid details on the tvN Story entertainment show What’s the Point of Leaving It Behind?, which aired on June 15.
The episode also featured veteran actor Ahn Jae-wook, who discussed the financial realities of being an early pioneer of the “Hallyu” (Korean Wave) movement. Reflecting on his massive success stemming from the 1997 drama Star in My Heart, Ahn noted that early stars did not enjoy the same lucrative overseas payouts that today’s Korean entertainers receive.
“The term ‘Hallyu’ was created while I was active,” Ahn explained. “At the time, there was no established standard for appearance fees, and there were many challenges. The next generation received enormous compensation.”
The conversation shifted to celebrity wealth when host Lee Young-ja asked whether their financial rewards had ever reached astronomical figures. It was then that the golf icon emphasized the immense scale of her own commercial success, stating plainly, “Endorsements alone brought in more than ₩10 billion.” The revelation prompted visible surprise from the rest of the cast.
Ahn followed up by clarifying past media reports that had estimated his “economic value” at a staggering ₩100 billion. He stressed that this figure represented his broader commercial influence, not his personal bank account.
“Those reports were about my economic value, not the amount of money I had,” Ahn noted. “The younger generation can potentially earn that kind of money today.”
