Lee Min-ho ranks fourth among figures boosting positive image for Korea

Lee Min-ho / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

Actor Lee Min-ho has been officially recognized as one of Korea’s representative stars, with the government acknowledging his positive contribution to the country's global image.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s recently released “2025 National Image Survey of Korea,” Lee ranked fourth in the category of Koreans who have positively influenced the nation’s image abroad. This marked the highest ranking achieved by an actor in the survey.

Lee has consistently placed near the top since the survey was revised in 2018 to focus on individuals who contribute a positive image for the country. From 2023 through 2025, he remained among the top-ranked figures, underscoring his sustained global recognition, influence beyond Korea, and enduring star power.

The recognition follows a series of recent honors. Lee was awarded a presidential citation at the “16th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards.” He also ranked first for the 12th consecutive year as the most favored Korean actor worldwide in the “2025 Overseas Hallyu Survey,” based on 2024 data, and jointly released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange.

Debuting in 2006, Lee marks his 20th anniversary this year. He rose to stardom through hit dramas such as “Boys Over Flowers,” “The Heirs,” “The Legend of the Blue Sea” and “The King: Eternal Monarch,” establishing himself as a leading Hallyu star both at home and abroad. After meeting audiences last year with the film “Omniscient Reader,” he is set to return to the big screen in director Hur Jin-ho’s upcoming film “Assassins.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.