The Korean department in charge of overseas management of arts and culture KOFICE released the results of its official poll of 2019 overseas interest in Hallyu entertainment. It spanned K-dramas, movies, variety, cuisine and interest went up in all categories across the board from 2018 with the biggest rise in the K-movie category no surprise thanks to the award winning reach of Parasite. The movie was also #1 in the movie list and I actually watched all top 5 movies and totally agree, each was so entertaining so I highly recommend watching all of those. For the K-drama list, it was Hotel Del Luna in #1 thanks to being top of mind and second place goes to oldie but still goodie Descendants of the Sun. Turning to the actors and actresses its stalwart Lee Min Ho in the top spot despite not having a movie or drama since 2017 when we went to the army, nice longevity, with Song Hye Kyo and Song Joong Ki rounding out the next two places. Check out the top lists below.
KOFICE 2019 poll for Overseas Interest in Hallyu:
Favorite K-dramas (76%)
- Hotel Del Luna (8.2%)
- Descendants of the Sun (3%)
- Dae Jang Geum (3.1%)
- Kingdom (2.1%)
- Goblin (2.0%)
- Her Private Life (2.0%)
Favorite K-movies (73.4%)
- Parasite (12.4%)
- Train to Busan (7.9%)
- Extreme Jobs (3.1%)
- Along With the Gods (2.0%)
- Exit (1.5%)
Favorite K-actor/actress
- Lee Min Ho (7.6%)
- Song Hye Kyo (3.4%)
- Song Joong Ki (1.9%)
- Gong Yoo (1.8%)
- Suzy (1.7%)
- Lee Jong Seok (1.7%)
Jeez jewel in palace is such a classic. It will always be lee young ae’s most legendary role or dare i say most legendary role for any korean actress in drama. It made over 100 million usd in profit overseas sales without accounting inflation. I remember how after this drama lee young ae did just one movie and signed endorsements all over asia and keep topping cf queen title year after year sith highest salary. And made so much money that she never worked again till 2017 lol
Lee min ho not surprised at all. There r still some who think he is not most popular actor overseas. Though orevious poll waa govt one and more official he topped this poll too
And song hye kyo well 2 decades as face of drama actress.
Dots was massive
Correct me if I’m wrong, the following is the standing of Korean actors with huge “PAN ASIA” dramas:
Hyun Bin (3 points)
(1) MNIKSS – debatable
(2) Secret Garden
(3) CLOY
Lee Min Ho (5 points)
(1) BOF – MEGA HIT (x2)
(2) The Heirs – MEGA HIT (x2)
(3) LOTBS – debatable
Gong Yoo (2 points)
(1) Coffee Prince
(2) Goblin – MEGA HIT
Kim Soo Hyun (2 points)
(1) MLFTS – MEGA HIT (x2)
*cannot count METS and Dream High because they managed only to make huge impact domestically but not internationally.
Song Jong Ki (2 points)
(1) DOTS – MEGA HIT (x2)
correction for Gong Yoo, it’s 3 points which put him at no.2 with Hyun Bin and behind the perennial no.1 LMH
Kind of agree with your list, but I have to say that you have to add City Hunter to LMH’s credits because the same is also a PAN Asian drama. Although, not BOF and Heirs level but same degree as Secret Garden and Coffee Prince
Nielsen city hunter was massive oan asia and he landed many endorsements in china after that.
Htun bin MNIKs was a domestic monster only so 2 pts.
For gon yoo i will also add train to busan bcoz it is very popular outside korea.
Yes ksh only have MLFTS outside korea
And same with sjk with dots
I’m only counting dramas But yeah I have to agree that TTB catapulated Gong Yoo.
After careful thinking, the following are the standing of top Korean actors based on their “PAN ASIA” dramas and movies:
No.1 LMH (8)
– BOF (3)
– City Hunter (1)
– The Heirs (3)
– LOTBS (1)
(Haters gonna hate but, I guess LMH will retain the no.1 ranking in view of his upcoming drama written by superstar writer KES)
No.2 GY (6)
– Goblin (3)
– TTB (2)
– CF (1)
(The back to back phenomenal success of Goblin and Train To Busan helped GY to reach a new height of success. Also, please note that he’s the only one here with a Pan Asia movie. So, kudos to that!)
No.4 HB (4)
– MTIKSS (1)
– SG (1)
– CLOY (2)
(All thanks to the current “IT” hallyu drama of today, HB was able to make it to the coveted top 3)
No. 4 to 5 KSH (3)
– MLFTS (3)
(All I can say is, one phenomenal drama or movie like MLFTS for KSH, the ranking will definitely changed)
No. 4 to 5 SJK (3)
– DOTS (3)
(Same situation with KSH, one phenomenal project like DOTS for SJK, future ranking will turn into a major shake up)
The above is just my opinion. Everyone is free to dispute the same. Thanks!
Lee min ho’s longevity is insane. He became massive with bof in 2009, which brought new fans to kdrama and necvr lost popularity even after 11 years with army break and 3 years of no drama.. With king coming up i dont see him losing it anytime ..
Hail to the Eternal Hallyu King!
“No one knows Suzy outside of Korea”
Favorite K-actor/actress:
5. Suzy
lol
Thanks to Netflix exposure. But she will fade soonest because KSH and KYJ are starting to amass huge popularity without having to say that they have excellent acting chops
Lmao stay delusional. She’s been on this list for past 2 years already, not because of Netflix lol. She has way more SNS followers and CFs than those two and has big movie project (Wonderland) with director Kim Tae Yong as well as upcoming drama with the team behind successful hallyu drama, While You Were Sleeping. She’s getting quality projects with A-list production team and cast. Are those 2? lol
I’m not a fan nor anti fan but i do agree that suzy is famous but acting wise, she’s mediocre.
No one outside of Korea knows any k celebrity generally…even BTS is not that well known to most westeners as hard as that might be to be believed to koreans. Lol
What are you talking about? BTS is very famous. Their US concerts are sold out in minutes. Don’t pretend you know everything here Samantha!
Bts sold out 800k usd tickets in america with mrore shows to come.get over it . Racist
You know who they are Yoona but the reality is lot of people in western countries dont sorry if that hurts but its true.The average American outside of a fsn base would really have no ideas.
@Samantha My name is Yomna (not Yoona) and I am from Egypt. I cannot speak for the average American because I am not or the western countries, it is only your perception that they “have no ideas”. The fact is a lot of people know BTS. You do not know the whole world so it is wiser to only speak for yourself. BTS cannot sell any tickets if no one knows them. @adyjunjihyun It is awful that ignorant people can be racist like the frog in the well.
Also surprised that Love Alarm is nowhere to be seen. Many on this blog said it was the top 3 hallyu drama of last year after Kingdom.
Because its not.
It is so deal with it loser.
@Laura On one of the recent CLOY ratings articles, commenters here said Kingdom and LA were the biggest hallyu dramas last year after CLOY. CLOY is not on this list because it was taken before its airing in Fall of last year. So where is LA? This is a yearly government survey and is pretty accurate for the most part.
There are many different lists out there, it doesn’t negate the fact that love alarm has a huge following and is beloved.
…and no one claimed that it was top 3 hallyu.
*also one would wonder how they would gather these statistics. What is the sample size? And demographics?
not a fan of suzy, i have not watched any of her dramas in Netflix. but she is just so beautiful and undoubtedly the “it” girl in korea.
Probably the exposure Vagabond got in Netflix push Suzy to be recognised more. Never watched her dramas too but a lot of people talked about Vagabond.
@Ibyang Taste. She’s indeed popular and successful no matter how much some commenters like to deny it lmao.
Love Alarm is undoubtedly one of the biggest dramas last year and this one list will never negate that. This list has dramas from early 2000s on it so it’s obvious what the demographic for this bullshit poll is. Stay jealous of the success of Love Alarm which didn’t need 25 billion won to be a hit drama.
Actually, the list above only has ONE drama from the early 2000s, not “dramas”. ALL the rest are from 2016 and forward, with most being from 2019. However young you are (VERY, I’dd wager) I’m sure that not even you would describe last year as “the early 2000s”. Failing to get such a basic point right says a lot about the credibility of your reply, however flaky the poll may be.
@Marie. Do you know when LA is released? Suzy is so outdated. This poll is outdated.
@Maryanne Yes, this his annual government poll is “outdated.” lol whatever makes you sleep better, sis.
Lol. The poll will not affect the real status of LA as a huge hit drama of 2019 just like Kim Soo Hyun, Jun Ji Hyun and Hyun Bin not being part of the rankings.
@Jean lol Jeon Ji Hyun are on the list though. Koala didn’t put the entire Top 10:
1. Lee Min Ho
2. Song Hye Kyo
3. Song Joong Ki
4. Gong Yoo
5. Suzy
6. Lee Jong Suk
7. IU
8. Jeon Ji Hyun
9. Park Shin Hye
10. Ji Chang Wook
It’s obvious Hyun Bin is not here because the govt survey was conducted in October 2019 before CLOY’s dominance. KSH not there because he didn’t have a drama in 5 years, and JJH shows up even without a drama in 4 years. All 3 would otherwise be near the top.
LA is definitely popular overseas, but a TOP 3 hallyu drama of last year? Definitely not.
Okay. But LMH who managed to be no. 1 did not also do any drama like KSH for said period. With that said, the poll is not 100% reliable as much as you want it to be.
@coleman
Did I say it is 100% accurate? I said “pretty accurate for the most part” in my previous comment. And while Kim Soo Hyun didn’t appear on the list, his old drama did. That’s the difference. Neither LA nor its actors/actresses appeared, however. Not saying that LA isn’t popular (of course it is), but some of the commenters here overrate it’s and the cast’s popularity for sure.
K-drama list:
1. HDL
2. DOTS
3. Jewel in the Palace
4. Kingdom
5. Goblin
6. Her Private Life
7. MY LOVE FROM THE STAR
8. Winter Sonata
9. SKY Castle
10. Touch Your Heart
Also, you can’t compare LMH to KSH. Even if I don’t like him and find him mediocre af, LMH is the biggest hallyu actor of the past decade and will top these kind of lists regardless of whether he has a project recently or not. Similar case with Song Hye Kyo.
How LA become huge hit? No one talking about that drama in my place. And KSH maybe big in korea and cina, but he is not in the same level with LMH. He is not bigger than any of actors on the list. MLFAS is 2014 drama, its 6 years ago.
@Maylin. LA is quite popular in North America. “hugh hit” is probably a bit exaggerated, but it is not unknown. No one talks about it in your place does not mean it is not popular in other places. LA is exclusively on Netflix and not being aired on Korean networks. Do you have Netflix in your place? To me, it is a bigger joke that Her Private Life and Touch your Heart are on the List, domestic ratings are low and also not buzzworthy.
@Marie, yes, it’s true that you did not EXPRESSLY say that the poll is 100% accurate but based on the sound of your comments, it looks like you’re stating it otherwise. You must be a pitiful earthling because it looks like you have a hidden hate to Kim Soo Hyun and Kim So Hyun of LA.
Interesting results. Younger fans are now influencing and dictating trends in regards to K-dramas/movies/actor/actress. The fact that Hotel Del Luna is at the top reflects the popularity of IU and Suzy at no. 5, only the second female behind supremo queen Song Hye Kyo shows that the next gen is nipping at the heels of the veterans. Amongst the actors, the veterans still holding strong. Maybe the power of international fans on Netflix is pushing up Suzy and IU’s recognition as Vagabond and HDL are rated highly though a lot of fans think Vagabond is a flop. In fact a lot of flops did well in Netflix.
Vagabond was a flop in ratings considering the budget and it was aired on public channel whereas cable drama like cloy and ic doing double digit average, vagaflop with massive budget avwrage in single digits and on par with hdl which was cable drama. So hdl made more impact. Vagaflop was a massive flop budget wise. Thats why sequel got cancelled lmaoo. It was not evem top 5 kprean netflix drama n was ranked lower than love alarm
The irony is that the more flops Suzy is associated with, the more recognition she gained in the polls. I am not a fan of hers, have never watched any of her dramas. Just making an observation. I am not going to praise her but neither do I want to bash her. Women should support women, build each other up and celebrate each’s success acting wise or popularity wise. When it comes to dramas production quality, it is fair if fans want to condemn them or praise them according to their individual taste. Thank you all for your respective opinions.
@Aquarius Don’t expect that user to support all women because she doesn’t like any of the popular idol actresses (Suzy, IU, Yoona).
@Marie. That user is a bit old school and she does support older women like JJH and SHK. Good taste. Suzy is just too bad for any supporter except you as a loner here. Suzy has many flops, more than any actress that I can think of. Name one that worst the Suzy.
@Joker She doesn’t have to support those 3. She can drag them all she wants for all I care. Hell, I drag and shade other actors/actresses as well. But keep at least I do it based on things related to their acting projects/talent/popularity. That user’s low blow comments on their supposed personalities makes her look like a child despite being a working adult lmao. If you want to defend that kind of behavior, that’s on you lol.
I’m referring to her past comments on other articles, not this one.
@marie the hypocrite is the one to talk when u pull down all actresses ro glorify woozie. Hypocrite
@Marie. You are just bitter than I do not defend for you. What a shame!
@Marie, in my observation idol actresses do have a chance to succeed later on. I look at Seo Hyun Jin. She debuted as a vocalist for girl group M.I.L.K. but her acting now is on par if not surpasses those who came from an acting background. She has racked up an impressive resume with Another Miss Oh, Dr Romantic, The Beauty Inside and Black Dog: Being A Teacher. Good thing I never judge her based on her background. She worked her way up to become a credible actress. Her kissing scenes especially set a new standard for K actresses, i.e not like a dead cold fish. Lol. Well done Ms Seo Hyun Jin former idol actress turned talented actress.
Yes, definitely agree about Seo Hyun Jin. She’s an extremely talented and charismatic actress.. a great role model for idols turning to acting. There were several former idols that became successful in the past like Yoon Eun Hye, Eugene, Sung Yuri, Hwang Jung Eum, etc. but Seo Hyun Jin stands out the most for me and is my favorite of the previous gen.
The sad thing about Dae Jang Geum is that in the nearly 20 years since, there have basically been NO K Dramas in which the FEMALE lead was the intellectual superior of the male lead. For at least the last 10 years, the word “genius” in K Drama is always spelled “male”. Very sad. I thought about Dae Jang Geum often while watching Go Go Squid for that reason, that C Drama celebrated its female lead as a true genius, smarter than the male lead. It made me nostalgic for Dae Jang Geum.
Lee Minho’s longevity is impressive. It’s not popularity but his an ICON. He will still be popular in his 50s and 60s. Icon’s popularity never fades. They have become one with the people and the people have become one with them and have become synonyms with a certain work in a particular field in the consciousness of I-fans
Shh dont say it. Haters will start mocking u bae yong joon retired but still considered an ivon as first king of hallyu. Lee min ho became face of second wave and never lost that popularity besides facing hyun bin during sg era, ksh during mlfts era, sjk during dots and gy during train ti busan and goblin era. His consistent results is what set him apart from others like aftee army break in just 3 months he signed 7.5 million worth of endorsements besides no drama in 3 years and recent cell return af which have park seo joon and kang sora. Still they used hin as center in ad and more for overseas promotion which pays more just wait for king. He also paid most for charity thid year
I normally enjoy all K-dramas and K-movies. I won’t lie tho I am big fan of Ma dong. I am bigger fan of Ma-Dong than Will smith who is my second favourite actor. I would love to see Lmh and Ma Dong do a collab. Perferable a gangster movie. I think LMH main genre in action is the gangster genre loved him in Gangnam Blues.
I would love to see an all-star gangster movie starring Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Min Ho and Ma Dong.
LJS made the list while he is at the army. People here like to put him down, like he is b-lister, or somewhat.
Hello? It’s just a list. It will not AUTOMATICALLY make anyone an A-List celebrity.
IDK about Korea, but he is definitely an A-lister internationally. This govt. survey, his instagram and weibo followers, sold-out Asian fan meetings, etc. all reflect that.
Highly doubt the reliability of this poll, either because the poll is of small voting size or it is raked. How can Her Private Life be higher on the List than You from Another Star or Winter Sonata? Winter Sonata set the first Hallyu wave in Japan. And also Touch Your Heart? This must be a joke.
100% agree. The statistical tool used in this poll failed to capture the true picture of Hallyu of today.
Not PMY fan, but HDL is pretty popular because their material. PMY top buzzworthy even before HDL aired that time. And Touch your heart is popular too because of goblin. Not joke at all. This poll is pretty accurate.
I mean HPL
It’s 2019 poll and why so butthurt about HPL and TYH on the list. They’ve their own buzzy while airing. It’s the poll based on many people not just you. No matter you like them or not, there are still many people who just want to enjoy simple and cheezy shows. Of course those two will not be in 2020 and later list like classic show,Winter Sonata did. But nothing wrong to be in last year list.
Suzy is always on the list and continues to shine. She goes from strength to strength with her popularity.
She has lost many endorsements over the years and her next drama looks another flop. She wasnt even ranked by gallup. She is on way to be has been
Yes Suzy will with NJH in her next drama, since she is out from JYP, there’s no great oppa who help her anymore. Young actors this days its so weak, all they have just visual and no charisma. Just look at SKJ, he cant help PMY to create buzz for their drama. It will happened with NJH too. At least sand box will have a great PD who Will hide their bad acting. Suzy and NJH acting in the same level.
HDL is hallyu material drama. Hong sister did a great job and the PD was amazing. But both main leads is so weak. Now CLOY rating reached 20% and IC already hit 14%, now HDL rating doesnt felt great anymore. The drama will do so much better if they cast actors who can nailed their role. Not just pretty face with awkward acting and no chemistry with each other.
The main leads of HDL are not weak. You are clearly here to bash.