Korean actor-singer Cha Eun-woo and his K-pop boy band ASTRO, and actor-singer Ong Seung-woo, former Wanna One member, are bringing the big bucks to their agency, Fantagio, according to a financial report by the company.
Fantagio submitted a document to Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service on May 17 that detailed the earnings of the three artists from 2018 to the first quarter of the year.
For the first quarter from January to March 2021, the sales generated by Cha Eun-woo, ASTRO and Ong Seung-woo totaled 2.67 billion won ($2.4 million), accounting for 77 percent of the company’s sales from its artists.
Cha Eun-woo emerged as the top moneymaker for Fantagio, raking in 1.51 billion won, or 44 percent of the total sales of the company in the first quarter.
ASTRO followed with 938 million won ($844,516), or 27 percent, while Ong Seung-woo had 223 million won ($200,756), or 6 percent. Other talents in the agency had total sales of 797 million won ($717,562), or 23 percent.
In total, Fantagio generated 3.46 billion won ($3.12 million) in sales in the first quarter of 2021 but posted an operating loss of 65 million won ($58,520) and a net loss of 49 million won ($44,107).
According to the document, in 2020, ASTRO emerged as the top earner with sales 6.31 billion won ($5.68 million), accounting for 38 percent of Fantagio’s overall sales of 16.42 billion won ($14.78 million) last year.
Ong Seung-woo placed second with 3.04 billion won ($2.73 million), or 19 percent, followed by Cha Eun-woo with 2.57 billion won ($2.31 million), or 16 percent.
The same document revealed that the exclusive contracts of ASTRO members, who signed up with Fantagio in June 2015, will expire in February 2023 while Ong Seung-woo’s contract will end in August 2014 after he signed up in October 2016. Girl group Weki Meki’s contract will end in August 2024. Fantagio said it plans to renew contracts with its major artists.
Fantagio said as of March 2021, it has 31 singers and actors under contract. They are Im Hyung-seong, Choi Yun-ra, Kang Hae-rim, Han Gi-chan, Jin Su-hyun, Park Gyung-soon, Chu Ye-jin, Ong Seung-woo, Lee Hwa-kyum, Lee Seo-young, Chae Ju-hwa, Yu Na-gyeol, Choi Jun-young, Surprise U members Kim Hyun-seo, Yoon Jung-hyuk, Eun Hae-sung and Ji Gun-woo, ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo, Moon Bin, MJ, Jinjin, Rocky and Sanha, and Weki Meki’s Choi Yoo-jung, Kim Do-yeon, Ji Su-yeon, Elly, Sei, Lua, Rina and Lucy.