The Korean Business Research Institute has announced the top 100 Korean actor brand reputation rankings for January 2026, with the late actor Ahn Sung-ki leading the rankings. Lee Je-hoon, Ko Kyo Hwan, Kim Woo Bin, and Go Youn Jung round out the top five. See the full list of this month’s most popular actors.

January 2026 Top 100 Korean Actor Brand Reputation Rankings

The Korean Business Research Institute analyzed 203,567,604 brand-data points for 100 actors from December 27, 2025, to January 27, 2026, denoting a 31.00% increase from December’s 155 million data points. They measured consumer participation, media exposure, online chats, and community buzz, then ran the data through a weighted algorithm to get the actors’ brand reputation index. 

TOP 5 Korean Actors

1. Ahn Sung Ki  

In January’s list, the late actor Ahn Sung Ki, known as the “National Actor” (Gukmin Actor), ranked first. He achieved a staggering 39,693,067 in brand reputation, jumping 31% from December. This figure was driven by 10.76 million in participation, 10.07 million in media mentions, 9.28 million in communications, and 9.57 million in community participation.

High engagement followed Ahn Sung-ki’s passing on January 5 at age 74, leading to extensive online discussion. “Ongoing tributes to this national acting icon propelled Ahn Sung-ki to the top spot,” said Koo Chang-hwan, head of the Korean Business Research Institute.

2. Lee Je Hoon  

Lee Je Hoon placed second with a brand reputation index of 6,749,421, driven by “Taxi Driver 3” buzz and a major award win. His communication index was highest at 1.57 million. Interviews and exclusive backstage content kept his name trending, with fans showing strong, positive engagement.

While he secured second place in the Korean actor rankings this month, he took the top position in the Korean drama actor rankings.

3. Koo Kyo Hwan  

Koo Kyo-hwan earned third place with a brand reputation index of 4,689,069. His role in the romantic movie “Once We Were Us” sparked buzz. Its media coverage reached 1.13 million, and participation 1.14 million, with viewers seeking it out, streaming clips, and sharing reviews.

The actor achieved a 1,346,452 in communication. The film opened at #2 at the Korean box office, with 110,326 admissions, and was praised by critics for its moving realism. Fan discussions praising his performance, emotional richness, and chemistry with Moon Ga-young 

4 . Kim Woo Bin  

Kim Woo Bin secured fourth with a brand reputation index of 4,111,207. The actor model gained more than 1.30 million on the communication index and 1 million on the community index. These figures were boosted by his December wedding to his longtime girlfriend, Shin Min Ah, sparking discussion and warm congratulations across social feeds. His rom-com Genie, Make a Wish, drew strong chatter this month. 

5. Go Youn Jung  

Go Youn-jung rounded out the Top 5 with 4,027,763 points this month. She achieved the highest participation index of 1.31 million. The actress has immersed K-drama fans with her two roles in her latest drama, “Can This Love Be Translated?” Viewers actively seeking her out, rewatching scenes, creating fan content for “Can This Love Be Translated?” Her media and community indexes showed gains in popularity, with viewers praising her drama performance online.

TOP 100 Korean Actors

1. Ahn Sung Ki
2. Lee Je Hoon
3. Koo Kyo Hwan
4. Kim Woo Bin
5. Go Youn Jung
6. Han Ji Min
7. Lee Seo Jin
8. Jang Ki Yong
9. Kim Hye Joon
10. Hyun Bin
11. Moon Ka Young
12. 2PM’s Lee Junho
13. Nam Ji Hyun
14. Pyo Ye Jin
15. Ahn Eun Jin
16. Park Seo Joon
17. Moon Sang Min
18. Jung Kyung Ho
19. Chang Ryul
20. Yoo Ji Tae
21. Won Ji An
22. Lee Byung Hun
23. Ji Sung
24. Seo Hyun Jin
25. EXO’s Doh Kyung Soo (D.O.)
26. Jung Joon Ho
27. Kwon Sang Woo
28. Kim Da Mi
29. Kim Go Eun
30. Ji Chang Wook
31. Lee Young Ae
32. Choi Soo Young
33. Nana
34. Han Hye Jin
35. Kim Ji Young
36. Park Hi Soo
37. Lee Chae Min
38. So Joo Yeon
39. Kim Jae Young
40. Son Ye Jin
41. Yoo Jae Myung
42. Lee Yoo Young
43. Lee Jung Jae
44. Kim Se Jeong
45. Hahm Eun Jung
46. Lee Joo Young
47. Won Jin Ah
48. Gong Yoo
49. Ryu Jun Yeol
50. Ahn Hyo Seop
51. Yoon Kye Sang
52. Hwang Jung Min
53. Kim Young Kwang
54. Lee Kwang Soo
55. Ha Jung Woo
56. Kang Tae Oh
57. Lee Jae In
58. Lee Si Woo
59. Jeon Do Yeon
60. Lee Jong Suk
61. Son Suk Ku
62. Lee Il Hwa
63. Ma Dong Seok
64. Park Bo Young
65. Jung So Min
66. Lee Jun Hyuk
67. Lee Sun Bin
68. Jung Il Woo
69. Cha Seung Won
70. Byun Yo Han
71. Kim Hye Soo
72. Lim Ji Yeon
73. Jung In Sun
74. Jo Jung Seok
75. Sung Dong Il
76. Lee Dong Wook
77. Go Soo
78. Kim Sun Young
79. Song Ji Hyo
80. Kim Eui Sung
81. Kim Hyang Gi
82. Park Hae Soo
83. Kim Mu Jun
84. Lee Ha Nee
85. Lee Min Ho
86. Kim Jong Soo
87. Yoon Se Ah
88. Hong Kyung
89. Kim Hee Sun
90. Woo Da Vi
91. Hong Su Zu
92. Shin Seung Ho
93. Hee Jung Kim
94. Chae Soo Bin
95. Yoon Hyun Min
96. Seo Hye Won
97. Bae Yuram
98. Yuna
99. Gong Hyo Jin
100. Kim Dong Wook

Who’s Your Top Star This Month? 

This month’s rankings highlight moments of heartbreak, brilliance, and rising stars. Every mention, post, and headline shows these actors lighting up our screens and feeds. Now, which name tops your list for January’s Korean actor brand reputation rankings? Let us know in the comments.

Join us on Kpoppost’s Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, Telegram channel, WhatsApp Channel and Discord server for discussions. And follow Kpoppost’s Google News for more Korean entertainment news and updates.

Source: (1)