Descendants of the Sun is a 2016 South Korean television series starring Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Kim Ji-won, and Jin Goo. (Photo : Facebook/Descendants of the Sun)
The entire cast and crew members of KBS2's "Descendants of the Sun" recently received hefty incentive bonuses for their hard work. Most recent reports claimed that the stars' and production crew members received impetus rewards from the series' production company, NEW.
On June 24, Friday, a representative from NEW revealed to Soompi that the cultural industry company created by KBS and NEW has decided to reward everyone who worked hard with incentive bonuses. It can be recalled that the TV series premiered on Feb. 24 and has recorded an impressive 14.4 percent average audience share in the Seoul national capital area.
"There was talk about whether or not they would go on a reward vacation," the unnamed representative added. "However, 'Descendants of the Sun' was 100 percent pre-produced so the staff and actors all have their individual schedules now. That's why it was difficult to set a schedule."
Being the first television drama to be fully pre-produced before airing, "Descendants of the Sun" successfully ended its 16-episode run on April 14 and recorded a best of 41.6 percent in viewership ratings. In light of its unique plot and ensemble casts, the series was a major hit in South Korea and received immense popularity across Asia, most notably in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, and Japan.
Due to its immense popularity, KBS aired additional three special episodes from April 20 to April 22. The three-part special episodes contain highlights and the best scenes from the series, the drama's production process, and commentaries from cast members, behind-the-scenes footage, and the final epilogue, as well. To date, the drama has already been exported to 32 countries.
The drama's lead stars - Song Joong-Ki, Song Hye-Kyo, Jin Goo, and Kim Ji-Won - has also experienced a tremendous growth in their respective popularity across Asia. Each star had been receiving numerous love calls both inside and outside South Korea.
Joong-Ki, 30, became the face of more than 30 local and international brands and is now considered as one of the top Hallyu stars. Adding on, the former "Running Man" star further admitted that he is overwhelmed by the global fame.
"I am happy to be cited in many news articles in different sections," Joong-Ki said, as quoted by Yonhap News Agency. "That makes another reason to study diverse subjects."
Speaking before a predominantly Korean crowd, Song went ahead to say that he does not deserve the title of Hallyu star. He humbly added that he is just an actor, whose global recognition instantaneously rose with a single show and stressed that such a title is for someone like her co-star, Hye Kyo.
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