Yu Jae Seok Leads August Variety Star Brand Rankings

Yu Jae Seok remained at No. 1 in the August brand reputation ranking for variety stars, posting an index of 5,263,371. Kim Jong Kook rose to second place, while Lee Sung Min advanced to No. 3, creating a top three that combined a long-running variety leader with two entertainers showing strong upward movement.

The Korean Business Research Institute calculated the list by analyzing 50 popular entertainers across consumer participation, media coverage, interaction and community awareness. The data collection period ran from July 1 through August 1, making the ranking a snapshot of measurable attention rather than a direct vote for a favorite personality.

Yu Jae Seok holds the lead

Yu Jae Seok’s score increased 1.21 percent from July. His keyword analysis prominently included How Do You Play?, Happy Together and Running Man, connecting the result to both current and established parts of his television identity. The leading related terms were “outstanding,” “meticulous” and “humble.”

His positivity-negativity analysis recorded 92.08 percent positive reactions. That figure supports the broader index by showing that the volume of attention around him was accompanied by a strongly favorable tone. It also helps explain why a relatively modest monthly increase was enough for him to preserve a large lead over the rest of the field.

Yu’s index was nearly twice Kim Jong Kook’s second-place score of 2,792,003. Kim’s total grew 52.84 percent from the previous month, the clearest percentage increase disclosed among the top five. The jump moved him directly behind a colleague with whom he regularly appears on Running Man.

Movement reshapes the rest of the top five

Lee Sung Min climbed to third place with a brand reputation index of 2,741,606. His total was only 50,397 points behind Kim Jong Kook, making second and third place much closer than the gap between the top two. The result gave Lee one of the most visible movements in the August ranking.

HaHa followed in fourth with 2,689,721 points, finishing 51,885 behind Lee Sung Min. Kim Joon Ho completed the top five with 2,627,666. Only 164,337 points separated second place from fifth, so the middle of the leading group was tightly compressed even though Yu Jae Seok stood well ahead.

Heo Kyung Hwan ranked sixth, followed by Jun Hyun Moo, Kim Dong Hyun, Kang Ho Dong and Joo Woo Jae. Those positions completed the top 10 with a mix of hosts, comedians, athletes-turned-entertainers and personalities active across recurring television formats.

The top 30 reflects a broad variety field

Positions 11 through 20 went to Seo Jang Hoon, Ahn Jung Hwan, Kim Young Hee, Kim Jong Min, Shin Dong Yup, Kim Shin Young, Park Myung Soo, Lee Young Ja, Jang Do Yeon and Kim Gura. The segment includes established emcees as well as performers whose recent programs and public activity contributed to their measured visibility.

Tak Jae Hoon placed 21st, followed by Kim Sook, Yoon Jong Shin, Lee Soo Geun, Lee Kyung Kyu and Kim Young Chul. Super Junior’s Kim Heechul ranked 27th, with Kwak Beom, Ji Suk Jin and Jung Hyung Don completing the published top 30.

The August result ultimately shows two different patterns at once. Yu Jae Seok maintained a commanding first place through consistently positive and wide-ranging attention, while the scores below him shifted more sharply. Kim Jong Kook’s large monthly gain and Lee Sung Min’s rise created a close contest from second through fifth, giving the ranking movement even as its longtime leader remained unchanged.