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Hollywood stars are making a beeline for Korea to star in TV commercials here, with Emmy Rossum, of "Phantom of the Opera" fame, only the latest to sign a contract with the Aekyung Group. Former James Bond Pierce Brosnan has been modeling for Cheil Industries since 2006, and Richard Gere appears in magazine ads for clothing line RKFN.
The reason Korean companies are choosing top Hollywood stars is that they cost the same or less than Korean stars. Rossum gets paid W800 million a year, and Gere about W1 billion (US$1=W1,379).
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From left, Pierce Brosnan, Emmy Rossum and Richard Gere (file photo)
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Yet although they are seen in commercials here, it is rare to see them advertising in their own countries. In Korea, advertising contracts are an index of popularity, but Hollywood stars see it as a way to earn living when their acting career is not going well. "Many Hollywood stars seem to think of old music videos and foreign commercials they did in the past as something they want to hide," one industry insider says.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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