Breakout Rookie Actor Outperforms Major Industry Veterans In Brand Value

A rising rookie actor has become a hot topic after surpassing industry bigwigs such as Lee Jung Jae and Park Bo Gum.

The actor in concern is none other than Choo Young Woo, who has delivered one after another successful projects in the last few months, including The trauma Code: Heroes on Call, Mercy for None, and Head Over Heels.

With such noteworthy projects, Choo has become the most buzzworthy face in the Korean entertainment industry, securing a global fan following. His popularity has skyrocketed domestically as well and it reflected in his recent brand value assessment.

On July 22, the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute published its brand reputation analysis of Korean actors for the month of July. The analysis was based on 146,034,155 pieces of brand big data for 100 actors appearing in K-Dramas, movies, and OTT productions between June 22 to July 22. The actor brand reputation analysis is based on four key indices: participation, media, communication, and community.

In the July 2025 actor brand reputation ranking, Choo Young Woo outperformed every other major actor and came out on top. He was followed by Lee Jung Jae in the second spot, while Lee Byung Hun took the third spot.

Some other notable actors who made it to the top 10 ranks include, Park Bo Gum, Jo Yu Ri, Park Bo Young, Cho Yi Hyun, Lee Jong Suk, Im Si Wan, and Park Gyu Young.

Given that brand reputation rankings are highly indicative of an actor’s relevance and popularity, it is no small feat for a rookie like Choo to top the list, especially given how many big names he was up against. Notably, Choo has a very young career, having debuted in 2021. His sustained rise to popularity stands testament to his undeniable talent and mass appeal.