The World Goes Round And Round But Lee MinHo Remains Unbeatable As THE Top Hallyu Star - How Did He Do It?

Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

The 2024 Overseas Hallyu Survey results are out, and it is no surprise that once again, for the 11th year in a row, Lee MinHo has been picked as the most favored Hallyu star in the world! Find out more.

In case you didn't know, the Overseas Hallyu Survey is conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to determine the consumption and impact of Hallyu worldwide. The sample size of the survey is 25,000 people from 26 countries familiar with K-Content.

According to the report published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lee MinHo was picked as the top Hallyu star by 6.4% of respondents. He also ranked 1st in all 5 regions that were surveyed, that is, Asia/Pacific, the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Lee MinHo's popularity was recorded to be the highest in the Middle East, followed by Asia/Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.

Of course it is an incredible feat to maintain the top spot for 11 consecutive years but why exactly is the Lee MinHo craze so strong? Let's get into it!

 

Lee MinHo's Legacy

Before Hallyu ever became a mainstream cultural phenomenon, there was "Boys Over Flowers", paving the way. A large majority of international K-Drama fans started their Hallyu journey with "Boys Over Flowers", and it continues to be one of the very first K-Dramas the recent generations of fans watch or go back to for their daily dose of Lee MinHo.

As a result, over the last 5 years, global interest in "Boys Over Flowers" has spiked at least once almost every single year, mostly corresponding to one of Lee MinHo's works that were either airing