In a survey conducted from October 5 to October 16 by Joy News 24, respondents determined who are the most influential people in the entertainment industry this year. Keep reading to see which celebrities rose above the ranks to make it to the top.
More than 200 people in the South Korean entertainment industry took part in this survey, including film producers, broadcast producers, and journalists.
Ranking at the top is BTS, who has been named as the top influential artist of the year. BTS was voted number one with 98 votes, and it is not hard to see why. The group has been dubbed the 'Princes of Pop' due to the number of records they have broken and for paving the way for their juniors to break into both the Korean and international markets.
BTS recently topped the Billboard 100 with their all-English single 'Dynamite', making it their first number-one hit single and the first time a Korean artist has topped the said charts. Their song 'Dynamite' has continuously ranked within the top 10 since then. Earlier this month, their collaboration remix with Jason Derulo, 'Savage Love', also hit number one on the Billboard 100 chart, making it their second single to do so.
Their album, 'Map of the Soul: 7' is the best-selling album in South Korean history and also ranked at number one on the Billboard 200 Charts. The title track of the album 'ON', peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
MC and television personality Yoo Jae Suk ranked second place with 31 votes. Yoo Jae Suk's popularity has increased dramatically with his new program 'Hang Out With You' alongside his already popular shows 'Yoo Quiz On The Block' and 'Running Man'.
Soloist and Fin.K.L member Lee Hyori ranked in third place with 20 votes. Lee Hyori is a veteran idol who has been in the industry for over two decades. She is seeing increased popularity following her debut as Linda G in SSAK3 and Refund Sisters, both of which being project groups from 'Hang Out With Yoo'.
Trot singer Lim Young Woong ranked fourth place with 18 votes, proving the dramatic rise of the trot wave in South Korea. Previously, the Korean Brand Research Institute's brand reputation rankings for singers for the month of October was filled with trot singers, with Lim Young Woong being one of the singers on the list.
Big Hit Entertainment founder and CEO Bang Si Hyuk ranked in fifth place with 15 votes. Bang Si Hyuk is known as the mastermind behind BTS and the man who turned Big Hit Entertainment from a small, unknown company to one of the biggest entertainment companies in South Korea. He, along with the BTS members, was revealed to be billionaires after Big Hit Entertainment went public with their IPO this year.
'Parasite' director Bong Joon Ho ranked sixth place with 12 votes. 'Parasite' is known as the first South Korean film to win an Academy Award, scoring multiple awards at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020. The film is critically acclaimed and is known as a fresh take on the thriller genre.
Are you surprised by the rankings?
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Written by Alexa L.
