SEOUL: Defying mixed fortunes in the domestic market, Lee Min-ho has reaffirmed his global star power after being named the world’s favorite Korean actor for a 13th consecutive year in South Korea’s 2026 Overseas Hallyu Survey.
The achievement cements his status as the enduring face of the Korean Wave (Hallyu), even as his recent television drama and film received a lukewarm response from audiences at home.
Released by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the survey of 27,400 consumers of Korean content across 30 countries found that 7.1% of respondents selected Lee as their favorite Korean actor more than double the support received by actress Song Hye-kyo (2.6%) and singer-actress IU (2.3%), who ranked second and third, respectively.
Based on open-ended responses, the findings underscore Lee’s sustained popularity among global audiences more than a decade after his breakthrough performances.
Beyond the acting category, Lee also emerged as one of the most influential figures in the Korean Wave. He ranked second overall, behind K-pop supergroup BTS, while securing the top position in the Asia-Pacific region with 6.1%, narrowly ahead of BTS at 5.8%.
Lee’s continued dominance overseas stands in sharp contrast to the mixed reception of his recent projects in South Korea.
The survey was conducted between November and December 2025, following the release of Lee’s television drama “When the Stars Gossip” and the film “Omniscient Reader.” Both productions fell short of domestic expectations.
“When the Stars Gossip,” South Korea’s first space-themed drama, reportedly carried a production budget of 50 billion won (approximately $33.8 million). However, its unconventional storyline failed to resonate with local viewers, with ratings remaining in the 1–2% range throughout its run.
Despite the disappointing domestic performance, Lee’s international popularity remained largely unaffected, highlighting the growing divide between local commercial success and global recognition.
Industry experts attribute Lee’s lasting success to what they describe as the “first-exposure effect.”
His breakout dramas, “Boys Over Flowers” (2009) and “The Heirs” (2013), continue to serve as gateway series for international audiences discovering Korean entertainment.
Lee Hyun-ji, head of the Cultural Exchange Research Center at the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), said many overseas fans were first introduced to Korean culture through those dramas.
“That initial experience appears to significantly influence their subsequent perception of Korean culture,” she said.
Experts say that while actor Bae Yong-joon introduced older Japanese audiences to Korean dramas through “Winter Sonata” (2002), Lee Min-ho expanded Hallyu’s reach to younger generations across Asia and beyond.
Lee’s influence extends beyond television and film.
Indian filmmaker Ra. Karthik said his upcoming Netflix film “Made in Korea” (2026) was inspired after watching Lee’s dramas with his wife.
In an interview with Hankook Ilbo, Karthik said his wife’s admiration for Lee Min-ho encouraged the couple to explore Korean dramas together, inspiring his interest in Korean culture, food and lifestyle.
Similarly, Han Song-i, a North Korean defector and broadcaster, said Lee’s performance in “The Heirs” strengthened her desire for freedom, adding that his work left a lasting impression on audiences exposed to Korean dramas in North Korea.
Analysts say Lee Min-ho’s enduring popularity reflects exceptional loyalty among international fans.
While South Korea’s entertainment industry continues to produce new stars through hit dramas, overseas audiences remain strongly connected to the actors who first introduced them to the Korean Wave.
Although Lee has appeared in relatively few recent productions, he continues to generate significant online attention. According to KOFICE’s Hallyu Big Data Dashboard, Lee recorded 269 online mentions over a recent one-month period, ranking 19th among monitored keywords.
Hong Min-jung, a researcher at data analytics consultancy Ars Praxia, said international fans continue to compare Lee with younger stars such as Cha Eun-woo, while many also hope for a reunion project with Park Shin-hye, his co-star in “The Heirs.”
His strong international following also contributed to his casting as the lead in Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed series “Pachinko,” which reportedly had a production budget of 100 billion won.
Industry officials say global streaming platforms continue to view Lee as a valuable asset because of his ability to attract international subscribers, regardless of how his projects perform in South Korea.
The survey also reflected evolving viewing preferences among global audiences.
Netflix’s “When Life Gives You Tangerines” (2025) ranked as the second most popular Korean drama worldwide, behind “Squid Game,” marking the first time in five years that a family-centered drama entered the global top three.
Set in 1960s Jeju, the series follows one family’s journey through key moments in South Korea’s modern history. International audiences showed particular interest in themes of family relationships, Korean culture and the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis, rather than the action-driven stories that have dominated global streaming platforms in recent years.
An analysis of 761 English-language Reddit posts related to the series found that discussions centered on Korean family culture (197 posts) and modern Korean history (85 posts) accounted for approximately 37% of the total conversation, reflecting growing international interest in culturally rooted storytelling.
The 2026 Overseas Hallyu Survey reinforces Lee Min-ho’s position as one of the Korean Wave’s most enduring global ambassadors. While his recent productions may have struggled to achieve commercial success in South Korea, his influence among international audiences remains unmatched.
As streaming platforms continue to expand the global reach of Korean entertainment, Lee’s enduring popularity demonstrates that lasting international recognition can transcend domestic box-office performance and changing entertainment trends.
