Kim Heechul [SM Entertainment]
Kim Heechul [SM Entertainment]

Kim Heechul, a member of K-pop group Super Junior, said he earned more money from his regular spot on JTBC variety show "Knowing Bros" than from his music career.

Kim made the remarks in a video released Saturday on the YouTube channel "Egen Nam Swings," where he discussed his income with rapper Swings.

When asked whether Super Junior's 13-member lineup meant each member received only one-thirteenth of the group's earnings, Kim said appearing on broadcasts had sometimes left him in the red. "Still, I had enough income to get by," he said. "I'm not entirely sure why the company structure worked that way."

He added that his earnings from "Knowing Bros" surpassed what he made during his active years with Super Junior. "Unlike splitting settlements 13 ways, I was receiving appearance fees on my own, so there was a real difference," he said.

Swings suggested Kim was being modest. "That team did an Asia tour — the actual income must have been much higher," the rapper said.

Kim made similar comments on a separate YouTube channel in the past. "Honestly, I barely made any money in my 20s," he said. "Music broadcasts were all losses. Think about how many members we had. If I appeared on 100 variety shows, I probably got 1 million won ($694) total. This wasn't a matter of SM not paying out settlements — it was a problem with the broadcasting system at the time." He added that he only began earning serious money after joining "Knowing Bros."

Kim debuted with Super Junior in 2005 and has been a regular cast member of JTBC's "Knowing Bros" since 2015. He continues to appear in a wide range of content both as a group member and as a solo entertainer.


paq@heraldcorp.com