"Running Man" cast member Lee Kwang Soo is driving to big places.
Lee, an actor and mainstay on the popular Korean variety show "Running Man," was featured this week as an actor in one of Toyota's latest advertising campaigns. The television personality is featured prominently in the latest 2016 RAV4 Hybrid ad targeting American audiences.
The "Rise Up" ad features Lee Kwang Soo, and addresses him by name multiple times in the commercial.
The RAV4 Hybrid ad is the latest Toyota campaign to feature a Hallyu (Korean Wave) star.
According to Lee Kwang Soo's agency, King Kong Entertainment, Lee was cast by Toyota to help target the Asian market inside the United States.
Lee is one of the most popular South Korean stars today, thanks to the popularity of "Running Man." "Running Man" is one of the most popular shows in Asia, and the format of the show was sold to China. The Chinese version of "Running Man" is titled "Hurry Up, Brother" and began airing in 2014.
Lee Kwang Soo joins actor Lee Min Ho as Toyota's face in the United States.
Along with his role in "Running Man," Lee is a rising actor and has appeared in several Korean dramas, including a role as a man suffering from Tourette's syndrome in "It's Okay, That's Love."
Tamar Herman is a multi-media journalist and the co-founder of KultScene. She is a freelance writer and copy editor, and has written for MTV Iggy, Noisey, and Paste Magazine.
