[Korean Film News] Chungmuro's Most Popular Stars

The Chosun Ilbo asked 12 producers and PR executives to rank the top 20 Korean actors according to drawing power. Unsurprisingly, Song Kang-ho [송강호] ranked first among all actors and actresses. Coming in at first place in 2003 and capturing second place in 2005, the lead of The Host was chosen by 10 of the 12 experts that took part in the survey as the actor with the greatest potential to attract an audience. Among actresses, Lee Young-ae [이영애] (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) came in first. The failure of films starring last year’s no. 1 and 2, Moon Geun-young [문근영] (Love Me Not) and Jeon Ji-hyeon [전지현] (Daisy, My Sassy Girl), to live up to audience expectations also played a role in Lee’s rise to the top.

Among those trailing the two were Jeon Do-yeon [전도연] (You Are My Sunshine) (second), Uhm Jung-hwa [엄정화] (Princess Aurora) (ninth), Kim Hye-soo [김혜수] (The War of Flowers) (11th) in the women’s category, and Hwang Jeong-min [황정민] (You Are My Sunshine, Bloody Tie) (eighth) and Lee Byeong-heon [이병헌] (A Bittersweet Life) (ninth) in the men’s. Kim's popularity has soared since her role in "Flowers".

Jo In-Seong's [조인성] performance in A Dirty Carnival earned him fifth place on the list. Nos. 3 and 4 were Jo Seung-woo [조승우] (The War of Flowers, Marathon) and Kang Dong-won [강동원] (Duelist). Others who made the grade were Lee Jun-ki [이준기] (The King and the Clown) (19th), Choi Kang-hee [최강희] (My Scary Girl) (19th) and Ko Hyeon-jeong [고현정] (Woman on the Beach, Sandglass) (20).

Two stars whose standing plummeted this year were Kwon Sang-woo [권상우] (Running Wild) and Kang Hye-jeong [강혜정] (Invisible Waves).

(Clockwise from left: actors Song Kang-ho, Jang Dong-gun, Jo Seung-woo, Jeon Ji-hyeon, Jeon Do-yeon and Lee Young-ae)

[Source: The Chosun Ilbo]