Lee Byung-hun Tops K-Brand Index for Actors, Kim Young-kwang and Lee Chae-min also in Top 10

Veteran actor Lee Byung-hun has secured the top spot in the Actor category of the K-Brand Index.

The K-Brand Index, developed by big data evaluation institution Asia Brand Institute, revealed its top 10 actors on the 20th, with Lee Byung-hun leading the rankings.

The K-Brand Index utilizes a big data system developed in collaboration with researchers both domestically and internationally. Unlike existing systems, it incorporates verification from expert advisory committees from sample extraction to index selection, enhancing its credibility.

This year's ranking analyzed over 174 million pieces of online big data from October 1st to 31st, focusing on the top 50 individuals by search volume on portal sites. Notably, the index now officially reflects the Stardom Index, a fandom voting-based metric, further integrating fan participation data into the evaluation of brand influence in the cultural industry.

Following Lee Byung-hun, Kim Young-kwang ranked second, Lee Chae-min third, Kim Da-mi fourth, Lee Yi-kyung fifth, Im Yoon-ah sixth, Kim Ji-hoon seventh, Son Ye-jin eighth, Song Joong-ki ninth, and Gong Myung tenth.

Ryoo Won-sun, Research Center Director at Asia Brand Institute, commented, "A key factor in actor brand influence is not just recognition, but 'digital empathy' and 'content connectivity.' This ranking demonstrates that actors across various generations are establishing solid fandoms and images on their respective platforms."

He added, "Lee Byung-hun continues to set the standard for Korean actor brands, while actors like Kim Young-kwang and Lee Chae-min are expanding their brand reach through new fan bases. Actor brand competition will increasingly diversify around 'branding storytelling' rather than just the quality of work."

Netizens reacted enthusiastically to Lee Byung-hun's top ranking, with comments like "As expected from Lee Byung-hun, a legend forever!", "Looking forward to Kim Young-kwang and Lee Chae-min's future activities too", and "The top 10 list is dazzling, they are all certified box-office successes."