Every time there is a survey of some sort, it’s always entertaining to casually peruse which star has maintained top dog popularity and who may have dropped off a bit. This weekend Section TV did a poll for its 800 episode, asking 800 people to name the Top 8 Big Stars of South Korea. This one sounds like a pure popularity vote without any qualifications, and asking the question at this time yielded some names that surprised me.
The expected four names showed up with Yoo Jae Suk, Kim Soo Hyun, Jeon Ji Hyun, and Ha Jung Woo. The other four likely made the list due to the poll being taken right now – Kim Tae Hee, Kim Woo Bin, Ji Sung, and Hwang Jung Eum round out the full Top 8. It’s good to see Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum made popularity polls, they both have such scrappy acting careers and really deserve this breakout year they have had. I’m a little indifferent to seeing Kim Woo Bin and Kim Tae Hee, I feel both haven’t done a project recently that is all that memorable for me.
The lack of Yoo Ah-In makes this list invalid
It is well known that YAI is a good actor. Unfortunately he rarely picks public friendly works so his audience is not big enough, and he will never make popularity polls like this. I don’t think it is a problem though as long as he gets to work on projects that he likes.
13.4 million admissions for Veteran, which makes it the 3rd highest grossing movie of all time in Korean film… 6 million admissions and SK’s pick for the Oscars for The Throne, and the #1 drama on TV on M/T isn’t “public friendly”? lol I’m not even a fan and I know this was his year.
Anyway, it’s a silly popularity poll, not to be taken seriously.
@Mel: But YAI has never really been a “public friendly” actor to me. Basically he isn’t a Hallyu star like KSH and JJH is. In fact, he isn’t even half of KWB when it comes to popularity. All the projects you’ve mentioned starred much bigger names than him like HJM, SKH and KMM so the success cannot be solely credited to him unlike KSH’s ‘Secretly Greatly’ (8M tickets) or KWB’s ‘Twenty’ etc. where they are the most popular actor in the cast. Of course the production matters (duh!) but the pulling factor is also important.
Mostly, he just isn’t that popular yet. Its his year if you count how many successful projects he’s done, but he’s no KSH or JJH who can win such polls with insane consistency and with 1 project a year. More importantly, those actors can pull in the crowd/ratings despite the lack of quality in their projects. So YAI not being in the list makes no difference. To me, he’s not really in the top 8 stars of SK and neither is a few others selected. The only shoe-in people in the list is the first four as Koala said. Everyone else has their own merits which is why this list is as valid as any of the other ones circulating the same bunch of names recently.
@Dee nice analysis!
to you and @dee who are international audience, he is never really been a “public friendly”, but to Korean/local fans, he is the public friendly at the moment. The poll is for the 2015 condition, so of course the result is kinda odd. BUT one should know how this poll works. International fans especially those from Kim Soo Hyun camp will always join the poll wherever it is, despite him not having any stunning projects this year. That’s why I agree with @mel that this poll is not to be taken seriously. If Koala’s Playground translates other polls from other media too, such as SBS, OSEN, Joynews, etc, the results will be varied, and most of them show that Kim Soo Hyun is not even on the top ten.
Babe, I’d like you to link me to at least 2 or so polls by any of the sources you mentioned that doesn’t have KSH in even the top 10. Should’nt be hard since you claim most arelike that lmao. I don’t depend on this site to understand Korean polls because I’m half Korean and understand Hangul perfectly fine, thank you very much. Tbh, I’m not even that big of a KSH fan but I know (and so does most of SKorea) that he is hot in everything from international to local fans. Polls don’t need to prove that lol. Also, he wins most polls that don’t even require fan voting and is decided by experts instead. The bullshit that he isn’t popular in SKorea just so you can justify YAI not being popular abroad is just so desperately lame. Just so you know 🙂
It’s kimchi making season in Korea and 600+ housewives were polled on who’d they like to make kimchi with the most. Guess who’s in the top 3? Yoo Jae Suk placed first, Kim Soo Hyun second, and third is a local celebrity chef. Got to hand it to KSH, he is consistently in the top of any poll, no matter how significant or insignificant the surveys are. Him and Yoo Jae Suk are really loved by the Korean audience.
Agreed.
I know it is hard for people to understand why Kim tae hee remains so popular. She can just do CFs and she still top the polls. From what I seen of variety shows where she goes outside; she’s not insanely popular where people would scream for. I think, most people just admires her bc she holds the face of what Korean beauty looks like.
I like Kim Tae Hee but I would have to say that she’s not the most beautiful korean actress. There’s like a gazillion of korean beauties. But she just holds a certain aura. Like sweet girl next door but also so beautiful. Some people are just lucky like that. Lol
Kim Tae Hee is the female version of Won Bin in terms of undying popularity.
I watched a lot of korea’s varieties and dramas. Her name was mentioned a lot. I’m sure people will go crazy if she make an appearance in their show. I could already imagine running man, 1d2n, ic members reaction.
I also don’t think she’s the most beautiful woman in Korea. I think Song Hye Go is more beautiful than she is. I agree that she probably has face that is the most beautiful to Korean taste and standard of beauty.
Well, KWB did two moderate successful movies this year (around 2 million for The Technician and 3 million for Twenty) and constantly endorses some big CF brands (like Maxim Coffee), so he is on the public eyes the whole year. I can feel why Internatinal fans kinda indifferent to him and surprised with his popularity, ’cause we’re mostly drama audience and KWB didn’t do any drama past 2 years, so we mostly forgot about him, but he actually really popular in Korea and people like him enough.
Yongpal is the highest rated drama this year and kth nailed as han yeo jin. however as someone who’s always updated to korean entertainment industry, I believe that even withou drama and stuff kth would always make it in whatever poll korean made lol. KTH and jun ji hyun are the favourites for actress reference in most dramas and varieties. I heard their name a lot !
Ji Sung and Hwang Jungeum deserve every bit of success that has come their way, it’s so good to see an actor and actress who can actually act on this list.
Koala, aren’t you realized whenever kth starred in a drama wether it’s a success or flop she constantly has a spot in popularity vote. She even make it without drama. it’s weird for me but I’m getting used to it. She’s definitely the luckiest celebrity in korea. Korean don’t really approve her acting but her star power remains
have you ever heard bribery, that’s the answer.
Great to see my Kill Me Heal Me couple on the list. ?
YET, JISUNG DIDNT WIN THE YEAR END DRAMA AWARDS… sigh.
surprised that no Lee Min Ho??? and no idol. okay. noted.
I think this is Korean TV, because if it was about all korean entertainment, idols would take all the spots and leave nothing for the actors. And while a lot of us don’t like it, the truth is idols are talked about way more than actors, therefore the popularity is higher with them.
” I’m a little indifferent to seeing Kim Woo Bin and Kim Tae Hee, I feel both haven’t done a project recently that is all that memorable for me.”
Agree, KWB is quite bad in 2 movies, but fortunately 2 his movies have quite good plot, and i enjoy the supporting actors more than him. As same as KTH. Both of them r hyped by media and their agents.
But the poll is voted by fans, so it’s understandable.
Who cares about the polls where rabid fans will do anything to make their biases get on this kind of list? It’s the lazy media.
Ji sung made it so I’m cool ? love this dudes acting. Perfecto man