The Asia Brand Research Institute revealed that actor Byeon Woo-seok has secured the number one position in the K-Brand Index for advertising models during the first half of 2026.
The big data evaluation agency published the results on Thursday following a comprehensive analysis of the 30 most-searched celebrities of the year.
To determine the final rankings researchers processed 3.62 bn pieces of online data. The final index was calculated using a diverse range of metrics including media presence, social engagement, positivity, negativity, overall activity, community interaction and a specialised AI index.
Byeon Woo-seok managed to outperform several established household names to claim the crown. Singer Lim Young-woong took second place after previously holding the top spot in 2025 while football star Son Heung-min ranked third having dominated the list in 2024.
The remainder of the top ten featured a powerful mix of television personalities and musicians. Entertainer Yu Jae-seok secured fourth place followed by solo artist IU, Blackpink member Jennie, actor Park Bo-gum, Ive vocalist Jang Wonyoung, actor Go Youn-jung and BTS superstar Jungkook.
Ryu Won-seon, the research centre director at the Asia Brand Institute, explained the shifting dynamics of celebrity endorsements. He noted that modern commercial campaigns heavily rely on a model’s ability to seamlessly communicate a brand’s core philosophy alongside their general name recognition.
Ryu stated that in today’s complex multiplatform environment spanning television, streaming services, sports, music and social media advertisers consistently favour personalities who boast both widespread public appeal and genuine global influence. He concluded that Byeon’s sudden ascent to the top of the index serves as a perfect demonstration of how the massive popularity he achieved through his recent television success has directly translated into immense commercial value.
