Who are the hottest Korean stars outside of Korea? The newspaper Korean Herald has come up with a list of the top ten. The winners include singers, sports figures but it's mostly made up of actresses and actors. Here are some of the kdrama stars that made the grade as Hallyu or Korean Wave stars.
Winning first place among female Hallyu stars is missA singer Suzy Bae.
Singer and model Suzy was popular in Korea before but thanks to her drama and film roles, she is quickly becoming known worldwide. Only 20, she is currently starring as the sword-twirling Dam Yeol Wol in "Gu Family Book." She previously appeared in the dramas "Dream High" and "Big," as well as the film "Architecture 101."
Park Shin Hye also made the list. Her first drama role was in "Stairway to Heaven." She then played Choi Ji Woo in "Stairway to Heaven" and became a star after playing Go Mi Nyu in "You're Beautiful." She recently appeared in "Flower Boys Next Door and the film, "Miracle in Cell No. 7." Her next role will be in the drama "The Heirs," appearing with Lee Min Ho.
The most popular actor on the list is 26-year-old Kim Soo Hyun, the star of the record-breaking film "Secretly, Greatly." Kim Soo Hyun played a talented high school student in "Dream High" but became wildly popular after playing Joseon-era king in the historical drama, "The Moon Embracing the Sun."
The paper named actor Lee Jin Wook as the second most popular male Hallyu star. The handsome model-turned-actor attracted attention in the drama "Air City" and then the successful tvN series "I Need Romance." Lee Jin Wook recently won praise for his portrayal as a time-traveling news anchorman in "Nine: Nine Time Travels."
Third on the list is Lee Soo Hyuk, whose distinctive look makes him a much sought after model. He has appeared in films before, but now has his first drama role on "Shark" as a prosecutor's office investigator.
Fourth is Lee Ji Hoon, who appeared in the film "Architecture 101" and the comedy drama "My Paparotti."
Last but not least is Song Joong Ki, who debuted in the film "A Frozen Flower," which also starred Jo in Sung. He starred in "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" and "Innocent Guy." He was also the star of "A Werewolf Boy," a fantasy romance film.
