Most popular celebrities on Facebook from South Korea 2020, ranked by number of fans

Lee Min-ho was ranked the most popular South Korean celebrity on Facebook, with around 17.9 million fans as of September 2020. Min-ho is a South Korean actor and singer, initially gaining attention in 2009 with his role as Gu Jun-pyo in ‘Boys Over Flowers’. It comes as no surprise that the actor has so many fans, with the South Korean film industry booming not only locally, but on a global scale as well.

Hallyu

The Korean-language film and entertainment industry is informally labeled as Hallyuwood. The Korean word hallyu describes the surge in popularity of Korean-based entertainment, also known as the ‘Korean Wave’. Hallyuwood is considered one of the most prolific film-producing centers in the world, and it shows no sign of slowing down. Over the past decade, the sales revenue of the film industry in South Korea has continually increased.

Who’s watching?

South Koreans have demonstrated their seemingly insatiable appetite for films, coming in the top five in terms of box office revenues worldwide. Films produced in South Korea make up the largest share of movies released in the country. Aside from local success, the Korean wave in the film industry has also made its impact on global markets. In particular, the Taiwanese market accounted for the largest export value of South Korean films in 2018, followed by Hong Kong and Japan respectively. The unique blend of local Korean culture with international entertainment seems to be a hit, with participants in this industry surely hoping to ride the wave of success for many more years to come.