5 Reasons Why Lee Min Ho Remains The No. 1 Hallyu Star for 11 Consecutive Years

When it comes to Korea’s top actors, many think of Lee Min Ho. The actor has set a record of topping the global most popular Korean actor survey conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange for 11 consecutive years.

So what is the reason why Lee Min Ho remains the top among Korean actors in foreign markets

“Boys Over Flowers” stays in the hearts of an entire generation

In 2009, Lee Min Ho turned from a little-known young actor into a top Hallyu star thanks to his leading role in the hit drama “Boys Over Flowers.” The then 22-year-old young actor was chosen for the main role of Goo Jun Pyo. Indeed, he is the perfect choice thanks to his tall and handsome visuals. Lee Min Ho along with F4, Goo Hye Sun and “Boys Over Flowers” created a fever throughout Korea and Asia. In 2009, the Hallyu wave was spreading around the world and the drama was the flagship. Lee Min Ho really became an A-list star after the success of the drama. He is even one of the 34 actors named in the book “100 years of Korean pop culture star history”.

The visuals contributing to creating a fever for Korean handsome men

It is undeniable that Lee Min Ho has an handsome appearance with his 187cm height and handsome face. Although sometimes criticized for gaining or losing weight, the male actor will regain his perfect appearance immediately when appearing on the screen. Thanks to his diligence in taking care of his appearance for his work, Lee Min Ho always stands as the dream man of many generations of Korean drama lovers. His perfect image on screen always wins the hearts of fans not only in Asia but also the world. Lee Min Ho is one of the names that helped the Hallyu wave and the Korean handsome man fever become widely known in Europe and America, where consumers’ beauty standards can be said to be different from Asia.

A scandal-free career

One of the most important factors that help Lee Min Ho maintain his career and top reputation in the entertainment industry is his scandal-free personal life. Notably, the actor is always praised by his colleagues, staff and directors for his professional working attitude.

Throughout his career, despite being entangled in many dating rumors, Lee Min Ho has only publicly announced his relationships with actress Park Min Youn and “nation’s first love” Suzy. And worth mentioning, these two relationships both ended peacefully. To date, the actor has not had any other romantic relationships. The charming single image is also one of the factors that help Lee Min Ho keep his popularity among female fans.

A powerful fandom

Fans are a source of strength and support for artists, and Lee Min Ho is famous for having a fandom that is both passionate and tolerant, always wholeheartedly supporting all of his activities.

Lee Min Ho ranks 2nd on the list of most followed Korean male actors on social networks, with 35 million followers. Not only interacting with him on social networks, fans also realize their love through actions such as supporting his dramas and movies, supporting the brand Lee Min Ho represents, and even bought a star for him. Thanks to his huge fan base, Lee Min Ho has a high commercial value and has accumulated a net worth of up to 26 million USD. According to 2023 statistics, Lee Min Ho’s salary for one episode is about 70 million won. Especially at his peak, Lee Min Ho was sought after by Chinese film producers with huge salaries, up to 370,000 USD/episode even for a cameo role.

His romantic dramas are loved by the international audience

According to Korea Times, citing industry insiders, the tastes of foreign and Korean audiences are very different. While Korean audiences are bored with romantic dramas and Lee Min Ho’s rich-guy roles, international audiences still love this genre. That’s why despite having few breakthroughs in acting, Lee Min Ho is still the number 1 Hallyu actor in the hearts of international audiences. However, the actor has gradually escaped the rich-guy prejudice by playing the villain in the series “Pachinko.”

Source: K14