Then vs. Now: How Korean Actors Gain Fame These Days Compared To In The Past

W / Lee MinHo's Instagram / Harper's Bazaar / Jung HoYeon's Instagram

Korean actors and actresses are the gems of the K-Drama and K-Film industry. They shine so brightly both onscreen and offscreen that we can't help but fall in love with them in every aspect. Regardless of whether we're obsessing over their latest K-Drama/K-Film character or over the actor themselves in real life, Korean actors and actresses hold a special place in our hearts. In recent years, it seems like there is not enough space in our hearts for all of the fabulous actors who keep penetrating it. This is thanks to more and more actors gaining fame over the years. However, it makes you wonder how gaining fame has changed over the years for Korean actors.

Well, today we'll explore how the gain of popularity and fame has changed for actors over the years. We'll take a look at some of the classic Hallyu actors and how they've risen to fame, how recent rookie and rising actors seem to be growing fandoms exponentially, and much more.

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What is the Criterion For a 'Famous' Korean Actor?

The Most Famous Korean Actors and Analyzing What Makes Them So

Famous can be defined as, "being known and recognized by many people." But what makes it possible for people to be famous in the acting field? First, let's identify some obviously famous Korean actors.

Theย KOFICEย (Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange) recently facilitated a survey and collected data about the popularity of the Hallyu wave (the Korean wave) overseas for 2022. This government organization releases the survey results annually.

The data from this survey revealed that Hallyu lovers' favorite Korean ac