Goo Hye Sun reveals steady copyright income from 58 songs even after taking a long break from acting

Actress Goo Hye Sun has revealed that she continues to earn steady income from music copyrights even though she has not appeared in a drama since 2017.

On August 27, Goo Hye Sun appeared in a video uploaded to the official YouTube channel of South Korea’s Presidential Council on Intellectual Property. She discussed her recent studies, business activities, patents, and the intellectual property she has built throughout her career.

Goo Hye Sun recently completed her master’s degree at KAIST and is preparing to pursue a doctoral program. She has also entered the startup field after registering a patent for a foldable hair roller.

Explaining how the idea developed, she said, “One of the graduation requirements for my undergraduate degree was filing a patent application.”

She added that although running a film production company did not bring her significant profits, the experience helped her understand how intellectual property can become a long-term asset. Her patented hair roller reportedly uses around 80% less plastic than conventional round hair rollers, helping her company receive venture certification.

However, Goo Hye Sun said one of her most reliable sources of income has quietly come from music royalties.

“Besides invention patents, I have also quietly worked as a composer and have been earning copyright income consistently,” she said.

Goo Hye Sun described herself as a new-age composer who has registered 58 songs over the past 20 years. While the tracks are not widely known hit songs, she explained that their instrumental nature makes them useful as background music in many places.

“Because they are BGM without vocals, they are widely used on variety shows and in places such as cafés and hospitals,” she explained. “Copyright income comes in steadily every month, and the settlements are also made regularly.”

When asked about her long-term goal, Goo Hye Sun said she hopes the intellectual property she creates today will help provide financial stability later in life.

“Even if I do not own real estate such as a building, I want to keep building IP so I can have both the pride of knowing that the intellectual property I created is a strong asset protecting me and the material stability that comes with it,” she said.

Goo Hye Sun has been largely away from acting since appearing in MBC’s You Are Too Much in 2017. Since then, she has continued pursuing work in art, filmmaking, music, academics, inventions, and business.