Lim Young Woong Leads July Advertisement Model Brand Reputation Rankings as BTS Rises to Second

Lim Young Woong remained the leading advertisement model in South Korea’s latest brand reputation rankings, extending his hold on the No. 1 position for July. The monthly list, released by the Korean Business Research Institute, measures how strongly public figures are performing as advertising faces across consumer participation, media exposure, communication, and social value.

The July results were calculated using big data gathered from June 3 to July 3. The ranking covers a wide mix of singers, idol groups, actors, athletes, comedians, and other public personalities, reflecting how Korea’s advertising market often draws from the broader entertainment ecosystem rather than from a single sector.

Lim Young Woong recorded a brand reputation index of 2,090,482, placing him clearly ahead of the rest of the field. His keyword analysis included phrases connected to his fandom and recent public attention, including Hero Generation, High Valley, Top Hero, and birthday. Related terms such as confess, donate, and congratulate also ranked highly, while his positivity-negativity analysis showed a strongly favorable score of 94.08 percent positive reactions.

BTS Moves Up to Second Place

BTS ranked second for July with a brand reputation index of 1,165,738. The group’s position underlines the continuing commercial weight of its name in Korean advertising, even as individual activities, solo releases, and group milestones continue to shape public conversation around the members.

Park Ji Hoon followed in third place with a brand reputation index of 1,045,898. His placement keeps him near the front of a competitive field that includes music, drama, sports, and variety personalities. Actor Byeon Woo Seok came in close behind at No. 4 with a score of 1,035,723, showing that his public profile remains strong beyond drama viewership and fan communities.

Baseball star Lee Jung Hoo completed the top five with a brand reputation index of 984,809. His score marked a 12.86 percent increase from June, making him one of the most notable movers near the top of the chart. His inclusion alongside musicians and actors also points to the way major advertisers use sports figures as mainstream lifestyle and consumer brand ambassadors.

Idol Groups, Actors, and Athletes Share the Spotlight

The top 30 list showed a broad spread of Korean public figures. IVE, BLACKPINK, ILLIT, aespa, Hearts2Hearts, and Girls’ Generation’s Lim Yoona represented the idol and K-pop side of the ranking, while actors and screen personalities such as Go Youn Jung, Son Suk Ku, Lee Junho, Lee Jung Jae, Jun Ji Hyun, Koo Kyo Hwan, Gong Yoo, So Ji Sub, Yoo Hae Jin, and Kim Go Eun also appeared.

Several major non-idol figures added range to the list. Comedian Yoo Jae Suk, figure skating icon Kim Yuna, baseball player Kim Do Yeong, athlete and broadcaster Kim Dong Hyun, football star Son Heung Min, baseball veteran Ryu Hyun Jin, singer Lee Chan Won, and entertainer Shin Dong Yup were all included among the top 30. Their presence suggests that advertiser appeal remains tied not only to fandom size, but also to trust, recognizability, and cross-generational public familiarity.

Brand reputation rankings are not direct measures of endorsement revenue or campaign volume, but they are closely watched because they offer a snapshot of who is driving conversation in the public sphere. High rankings can reflect a combination of active promotions, viral moments, fan mobilization, media coverage, and positive public sentiment. For brands, those signals can help identify which figures feel timely, familiar, and commercially resonant.

Lim Young Woong’s continued lead is especially notable because his appeal has often been associated with loyalty and unusually high engagement from his fan base. BTS’s climb to second place shows that established global K-pop brands remain influential in domestic advertising metrics, while Park Ji Hoon and Byeon Woo Seok’s strong scores point to the continuing overlap between music, acting, and fandom-driven marketing.

With the July ranking led by a trot superstar, a global K-pop group, an idol-actor, a rising screen favorite, and a baseball standout, the results highlight the diversity of Korea’s celebrity advertising landscape. The list suggests that the most valuable public faces are those able to sustain visibility across platforms while keeping public response broadly positive.