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Lee Min Ho Retains 'Favorite Korean Star' Title, Beats Hyun Bin, Gong Yoo, Song Hye Kyo And Lee Jong Suk


Credit: Netflix Asia

Lee Min Ho remains one of the most in-demand South Korean actors of his generation. In fact, the 2021 Global Hallyu Trend named the Boys over Flowers star was named as the most popular Korean actor.

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Lee Min Ho Retains ‘Favorite Korean Star' Title

Gathering an average percentage of 9.6, Lee Min Ho has proven, once again, that he is a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. Interestingly, the 34-year-old actor was able to maintain his popularity even after his long hiatus from the limelight.

Most, if not all, fans can recall that Lee Min Ho started his mandatory military service on May 12, 2017. He, then, began his training at the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South ChungCheong Province on March 15, 2018.

Lee Min Ho was transferred to public service duty after his four-week military training. The Legend of the Blue Sea star was discharged on April 25, 2019. He, then, made his much-awaited acting comeback thru the Netflix fantasy romance drama titled The King: Eternal Monarch in 2020.

At the time, Lee Min Ho acknowledged the vital role of the internet in catapulting K-content to global popularity and acceptance. The City Hunter star said, ahead of the official premiere of The King: Eternal Monarch, that internet has brought countries closer to each other.

Lee Min Ho also stated that the barriers surrounding the K-content have been disappearing in the past years. He shared that, with his first-ever Netflix project, Korean content will be able to reach a much wider audience.

"Because of that I am more drawn to the stories and drama series or projects that can overcome language and cultural barriers. Also in the same sense I am also drawn to stories that kind of are relatable to a wide variety of audiences, a story that can really move a big, worldwide group of people, something that's universal."

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2021 Global Hallyu Trend Overall Results

Following Lee Min Ho in the second place is Crash Landing On You star Hyun Bin with 3.5 percent. Coffee Prince actor Gong Yoo (2.3 percent), Descendants of the Sun actress Song Hye Kyo, (2.3 percent) and While You Were Sleeping actor Lee Jong Suk (2.1) completed the top 5.

In 2019, Lee Min Ho was also named as the Favorite Korean Star after he garnered 7.6 percent, followed by Song Hye Kyo (3.4 percent), Song Joong Ki (1.9 percent), Gong Yoo (1.8 percent), Suzy (1.7 percent) and Lee Jong Suk (1.7 percent), respectively.

Meanwhile, Hyun Hin and Son Ye Jin's Crash Landing On You is this year's No. 1 Favorite Korean Drama, which received 9.5 percent votes. It is followed by Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Jin's It's Okay Not To Be Okay, which garnered 4.1 percent, in second place.

Itaewon Class and The World of the Married, which starred Han So Hee, Park Hae Joon and Kim Hee Ae, tied in third place with 2.8 percent. Kingdom followed in fourth place with 2.5 percent.

As for films, Parasite was proclaimed the No.1 Favorite Korean Movie with 18.4 percent. Train to Busan, Peninsula, #ALIVE and Time to Hunt completed the top 5 with 10.2 percent, 3.5 percent, 2.1 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

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The Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) published the 2021 Global Hallyu Trends, which is based on the 2021 Overseas Korean Wave Survey and 2020 Korean Wave Economic Impact Study that covers a total 8,500 respondents from 18 countries.

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