Okay, be honest, have you ever fallen so hard for a K-drama character that you immediately Googled their real name, birthday, zodiac sign, and height? Same here.
Well, if you’re like us (aka emotionally invested in Korean celebs), you’ll love this, April’s star brand reputation rankings are finally out, and the drama is real.
Wait, What Are Star Brand Reputation Rankings?
Think of it like the ultimate K-celeb scoreboard. Each month, the Korea Enterprise Reputation Research Institute analyzes everything, media coverage, fan buzz, brand endorsements, and even how often people talk about these stars online.
It’s basically the Olympics of fame, but with more eyeliner and better soundtracks.
And this time, the April brand reputation ranking gave us some juicy results.
Byun Woo-seok Is Still King (Even After a Dip)
Let’s start with the reigning champ, Byun Woo-seok. Even though his score dipped by nearly 27% (ouch), he still held onto the top spot.
That’s like missing the last episode of your drama and still knowing what happened. Power move.
The guy is literally everywhere, ads, social media, billboards. He could probably sell ramen to a mukbang star.
Who’s Rising Like Crazy?
Ko Yoon-jung shot to second place, girl is on fire, and we’re not just talking about her visuals. Her drama roles lately? Chef’s kiss.
DAY6 is living rent-free in fans’ hearts, especially with their global activities. Third place? Deserved.
Park Ji-hyun is charming everyone with her trot queen energy (don’t lie, you’ve had her song stuck in your head).
Kim Do-young made a sports comeback like a K-drama lead returning after amnesia, absolute legend.
Addtional Rising Stars You Need to Know
Here’s the full list of the top 30 rising stars for April:
Park Seo Jin
KiiiKiii
Ahn Sung Hoon
Stray Kids
Car, the Garden
Lee Je Hoon
ENHYPEN
Lee Jun Hyuk
Lee Young Ji
Choo Young Woo
Park Jung Min
Choi Woo Shik
BIBI
BABYMONSTER
Kim Hye Yoon
Chae Soo Bin
Jo Yu Ri
QWER
Lee Soo Ji
Cha Joo Young
Lee Yi Kyung
BOYNEXTDOOR
izna
TWS
Son Tae Jin
If your bias isn’t on the list yet… don’t panic. They’re probably just brewing their big moment.
Let’s Be Real, This Is Why We Care
We don’t just watch Korean dramas, we live them. We cry when they cry. We cheer when they kiss. We pretend we don’t care who’s ranking, but we totally care.
These star brand reputation rankings feel personal, because when your fave climbs the list, it’s like you won, too. Admit it.
Your Mission: Stream, Share, Repeat
Love a star? Prove it. Stream their drama again (yes, episode 12 still hits), share those fancams.
Let’s boost our faves for the next star brand reputation rankings, and maybe see them rise in the May edition.
Your favorite Korean drama star deserves the spotlight, and so do you, bestie.