Lee, who recently starred in the well-regarded TV series “Pinocchio,” has already topped a string of popularity charts in China. (image: Wellmade Entertainment)
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – Lee Jong-suk, the South Korean actor and model, is highly likely to be the most popular K Wave star in China this year, according to entertainment industry experts and reporters with knowledge of China’s show business market.
Along with Lee, Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun) is expected to be the top Korean actress, as her popularity does not appear to be fading away anytime soon in China. Jun is still basking in a great deal of popularity thanks to her role in “My Love From the Star”, which also helped her grab four prizes at the SBS year-end drama awards.
Given that “My Love” has had a powerful impact on Jun’s popularity, Lee Jong-suk’s surging recognition in China is all the more impressive, because Kim Soo-hyun, Jun’s co-star in the drama, was surpassed by Lee on the aforementioned survey.
Lee, who recently starred in the well-regarded TV series “Pinocchio,” has already topped a string of popularity charts in China. Pinocchio has recently recorded a cumulative viewership of 1bn spectators, a meaningful threshold to prove the popularity of content in Asia’s biggest entertainment market, in terms of a fan base and industry size.
This promising South Korean heartthrob has topped the acting performance chart on People.cn, the online site of China’s leading media People’s Daily, proving that Lee’s popularity is not wholly attributable to his desirable appearance.
Lee, who debuted in 2005 as a runway model, began his acting career in the 2009 short film Sympathy. His roles in “I Hear Your Voice,” “Doctor Stranger,” and the latest series “Pinocchio” have established him as one of the most popular Korean stars in China.
By Celena Jung (celena@koreabizwire.com)
